THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


PETALS  PLUCKED 


PROM 


CLIMES, 


BY    SILVIA   SUNSHINE. 


llustrations. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.: 
SOUTHEKN  METHODIST  PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 

PRINTED     FOR    THE    AUTHOR. 

•880.  I'.::/: 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

THE  AUTHOR, 
in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


^_/^yw\ 


mTEODTJCTOKY  NOTE. 


THIS  book  contains  a  brief  account  of  the  early  settle- 
ment of  Florida,  and  some  of  its  Indian  conflicts, 
together  with  many  amusing  incidents  connected  with  its 
present  history;  also  a  new  illustration,  prepared  expressly 
for  this  work — the  whole  being  a  collection  of  travels,  and 
what  is  to  be  seen  in  various  portions  of  Florida,  Key 
West,  and  Cuba;  with  a  Gazetteer  and  Florida  Guide-book 
attached,  designed  for  the  use  of  tourists  and  settlers. 


PREFACE. 


\  \  J  KITING,  like  other  employments,  furnishes  a  reward 

*  '       to  those  \vho  are  fond  of  it — elevates  the  mind  to  a 

higher  and   happier  state  of  enjoyment  than  merely  grasp- 

ff  ing  for  earthly  treasure,  a  desire  to  discover  something  beau- 

v>  tiful  in  our  surroundings,  a  nobility  of  character  in  mankind, 

^  a  grandeur  in  all  God's  works. 

Q=         Mv   travels,  both  in  Florida  and   Cuba,  when  not  suffer- 
00 

3  ing  from  sickness,  were  an  uninterrupted  source  of  pleas- 
ure and  entertainment,  made  thus  by  the  smiles  of  friend- 
5?  ship,  intercourse  among  kind-hearted  people,  combined  with 
J5  the  luscious  fruits  and  delightful  scenery  by  which  I  was  al- 
o  most  constantly  surrounded. 

In  arranging  the  historical  portion  of  this  work,   I  have 

endeavored  to  sift  conflicting  events,  at  all  times  retaining 

g    those   which   were   the   most   tangible,   and    rejecting   many 

i<     which   have  been   received   by  superficial  observers  as   con- 

O     sistent  truths. 
*3 

uj          I  shall   feel  amply  rewarded    if  any  sad,  sensitive  heart, 

—r 

;     wounded   in   life's   struggles,  is  cheered   even  'for  awhile   in 
<     perusing  these  pages,  or  the  consumptive  invalid  entertained 
with  a  pleasanter  potion  than  his  cod-liver  and  gloomy  fore- 
bodings of  future  ill. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  1 17 

Adieu  to  Atlanta  and  arrival  in  Macon — Early  settlement  of  Savan- 
nah by  General  Oglethorpe — Met  by  the  Yamacraw  Indians  with  pres- 
ents— Death  of  Count  Pulaski — Bouaventure  Cemetery — The  inland 
route  to  Florida — Pass  St.  Simon's  Island — Wesley  visits  Frederiea 
to  establish  his  faith  —  Cumberland  Island,  the  home  of  Nathanael 
Greene  —  Olives  —  The  scuppernong  vine  —  Dungenness,  the  burial- 
place  of  Light- Horse  Harry  Lee  —  General  Robert  E.  Lee  visits 
the  grave  of  his  father — Amelia  Island — Taken  by  filibusters — Their 
surrender  —  Fine  beach  and  light-house  —  The  turtle  —  Sea-shells — 
God's  treasures — A  resting-place  for  the  weary. 

CHAPTER  II 28 

Fate  of  the  Spanish  galleons — St.  John's  Bar  and  River — General  re- 
marks on  Florida — Lumber-mills — Jacksonville — Grumblers — The  in- 
valid— Churches — Dr.  Stowe  preaches  in  the  Methodist  church — Mrs. 
Harriet  Stowe  goes  to  sleep — Sermon  by  a  colored  brudder — Journal- 
ism— Moncrief  Springs — The  invincibility  of  boarding-housekeepers — 
The  cemetery — Too  much  delay  with  invalids  before  coming  to  Florida. 

CHAPTER  III 46 

Jacksonville  Agricultural  Association,  and  its  advantages — Exhibits 
of  wine,  perfume,  and  fruits — Industries  ot  the  ladies — Yachts — Gen- 
eral Spinner — Steamer  Dictator — Nimbus  on  the  river — Mandarin — 
Employment  of  its  inhabitants — Murder  of  Mr.  Hartley  by  Indians — 
Weariness  of  war  by  the  settlers — Fanciful  names  given  to  towns — 
Hibernia  and  Magnolia — Green  Cove  Springs — Fortat  Picolata — Pilat- 
ka — Putnam  House — The  Herald,  edited  by  Alligator  Pratt — Colonel 
Hfirte's  orange-grove — The  Catholic  Bishop  as  sexton — Ocklawaha 
River. 

CHAPTER  IV 55 

No  fossilized  Spaniards  on  the  Ocklawaha — Scenery  on  its  banks — 
Thick  growth  of  timber — Passengers  amuse  themselves  killing  alliga- 
tors— Climbing  asters — Air-plants — Water-lily — An  affectionate  7iieet- 
ing  at  Orange  Springs — The  deaf  lady — Pleasure-riding  in  a  cracker- 
cart — Northern  and  Southern  crackers — March  of  improvement — Make 
fast! — Wooding  up — Passengers  take  a  walk — Night  on  the  water — 
Surrounded  by  thickets— Our  flame-lit  craft  moves  on  with  its  pillar 
of  fire — Who! — Plutonic  regions — Pyrotechnic  displays. 

CHAPTER  V , 09 

Incident  PS  we  enter  Silver  Springs — A  gentleman  loses  his  grinders 
— The  Mirror  of  Diana — Sunset — A  beautiful  legend  of  the  Princess 


10  Contents. 

Weenonah — A  scientific  description  by  Prof.  J.  Le  Conte — Vicinity  of 
the  springs — Improvements — Description  of  Ocala — Impressions  of 
DeSoto — Public  Square — Contented,  hospitable  people — Marion  county 
the  back-bone  of  the  State — Malt.  Driggers  and  his  neighbors  go  on  a 
mastodon  hunt — Lakes  and  long  prairie-grass  above  Silver  Springs — 
The  man  who  wanted  a  sheriff  to  marry  him — Leesburg  and  its  im- 
provements— A  dredging-boat  mistaken  lor  a  eook-stove — Indian  trails 
— Historic  relics— Lake  Dunham — Okahumkee — The  Ocklawaha  his- 
toric ground. 

CHAPTER  VI 90 

Florida  during  the  Indian  war — Cumbersome  movements  of  the  troops 
— Cause  of  the  war — Treaty  of  Payne's  Landing — Birthplace  of  Osee- 
ola — Lives  with  his  mother  in  Okefinokee  Swamp — Afterward  in  tbe 
Big  Swamp — Osceola  expresses  opposition  to  the  "  treaty  " — Jumper 
unwilling  to  go  West — Charlie  Emaltha — Plea  for  remaining — Indian 
poetry — Appearance  of  Osceola — Hostility  toward  the  survey  force — 
Does  not  favor  immigrating— Decision  of  Micanopy — Osceola  in  irons 
at  Fort  King— Sullen,  then  penitent — First  hostile  demonstration 
from  the  Indians — Murder  of  Private  Dalton — Killing  of  Charlie 
Emaltha  —  Osceola  seeks  revenge  in  the  assassination  of  General 
Thompson — Dade  Massacre — Micanopy  fires  the  first  gun — More  than 
one  hundred  whites  killed — Depredations  of  daily  occurrence — Battle 
of  Withlacoochee — Captain  Ellis,  of  Gainesville — Capture  of  Osceola 
bv  General  Jessup — Imprisoned  first  in  Fort  Marion,  afterward  sent 
to  Fort  Moultrie — His  death — Chechotar,  his  wife — Poetry  by  a  friend 
— Sisters  of  Osce_ola  now  living  in  the  West. 

CHAPTER  VII 1 05 

Shores  of  the  upper  St.  John's,  where  various  kinds  of  timber  grow, 
and  bony  stock  range — Mounds  and  their  contents— Their  obscure 
origin — The  chasm  not  yet  bridged — Belief  in  the  immortality  of  the 
sou! — The  mounds  a  shrine — Conduct  of  the  Spanish  invaders — An- 
cestral veneration — Articles  for  use  deposited  with  the  bodv — Unan- 
swered questions — History  of  mound-building  in  its  infancy — Found 
in  Europe  —  Uses  of  mounds  —  Monumental  mounds — The  mystery 
shrouding  their  structure — Intrusive  burial — The  growth  on  Florida 
mounds,  and  the  distinguishable  feature  of  mound-builders — -Mound 
near  New  Smyrna  —  Mounds  in  South  Florida — The  large  one  at 
Cedar  Keys — Mounds  for  sacrifice — Description  of  a  victim — Pyramid 
of  Cholula — Mexican  teocalli — Pyramids  for  kings — Mounts  of  ordi- 
nance— Sacred  fires — Indians  worshiped  "  high  places" — The  temple 
at  Espiritu  Santo — Residence  of  King  Philip — Lake  Jessup  mound — 
Copper  weapons — Indians  worship  the  sun  and  moon — Burial  urns — 
Pearls  a  heavenly  product — The  Indian  empress  a  prisoner — Manu- 
facture of  beads  from  conch-shells — Pearls  of  no  value  found  on  the 
coast  of  Florida — Who  were  these  architects? — A  veil  obscures  our 
vision  in  trying  to  discover  the  engineers  of  these  mounds — The  key 
never  found — Tumuli,  mounds,  and  plateaus,  all  objects  of  interest. 

CHAPTER  VIII 121 

A  description  of  the  animals  and  birds  seen  on  the  St.  John's  a  cent- 
ury since — Lovely  landscape — The  happy  family — Lake  George — En- 
terprise—Mellonville — Sulphur  Springs — Lake  Harney  and  Salt  Lake 


Contents.  11 

— Indian  River — Settlers  discouraged  on  account  of  the  Indians — An 
order  for  blood-hounds — Battle  of  Caloosahatchee — Famished  soldiers, 
and  fidelity  of  the  dog — Big  Cypress  Swamp — Locality  of  the  chiefs — 
"What  the  Indians  cultivate — Their  babies  never  cry — The  Prophet, 
nnd  his  influence  as  a  medicine  man — Wild  Cat  in  command  of  Fort 
Mellon — Speech  of  Sam  Jones — Hanging  of  Chekika — Major  Belknap 
takes  his  command  into  the  Big  Cypress- — Country  developed  by  war 
— Indian  River  after  the  war  the  sportsman's  heaven — Game,  ovsters, 
nnd  fish — Scientific  theory  on  the  formation  of  coquina — Fine  products 
of  the  Indian  River  country — A  resort  for  consumptives — Camp-cook- 
ing— Soothing  influences  from  the  surroundings — Coming  down  the 
St.  John's — The  sick  man — Stewardess  and  "  "gaitors" — Curious  people 
with  curious  things — The  chameleon — The  fawn — The  crane — The 
bug-hunter  and  his  treasures — The  many  old  people  iu  Florida — The 
sportsman. 

CHAPTER  IX 139 

Stop  at  Tocoi  for  St.  Augustine — Scenery  along  the  route — Stage-con- 
tractor's notice — Murder  of  Dr.  Weedman — Cloth  houses — Two  mail- 
carriers  murdered — The  blood-hounds — Mr.  Francis  Medicis  and  four 
others  shot — Remarks  by  a  resident  on  witnessing  the  scene — Wild 
Cat  the  leader  of  this  atrocity — The  theatricals  fill  their  engagement 
— Coacoochee  admires  himself  in  the  glass,  also  one  of  General  Her- 
nandez's beautiful  daughters — His  capture  and  escape — His  twin  sister 
and  her  pearls — Returns,  dressed  in  theatricals,  for  a  parley  with  the 
whites — Starts  West,  and  dies  on  the  way. 

CHAPTER  X 154 

St.  Augustine  described  in  rhyme — The  old  Spaniards — A  place  for 
stimulus  of  thought — Treachery  of  legends — Early  settlers  lured  by 
tales  of  wealth — Historical  antiquity — Astonished  Seloes — Capture  by 
Sir  Francis  Drake — St.  Augustine,  1764 — French  privateers — Rory 
Mclntosh  the  Don  Quixote  of  the  times — American  flag  raised  in 
1821 — Freedom  to  worship  God — St.  Augustine  archives — Dr.  McWhir 
the  founder  of  Presbyterianism  in  Florida — Appearance  in  18IJ4 — The 
frost — Every  thing  shrouded  in  a  kind  of  tradition — Fromajardis,  or 
Garden  Feast — Matanzas  River — Xuns — Escribanio,  or  St.  Mary's 
Convent — The  ancient  city  sleeps  all  summer — The  dear  old  folks 
from  their  Northern  homes,  and  the  young  ones  too — Curiosities — 
Crafts  of  all  kinds — Gayety  of  the  winter — Remarkable  memory  of 
the  natives — Peaceful  days — Xo  welcome  for  adventurers — St.  Augus- 
tine supposed  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the  Peri — Expressing  an 
unfavorable  opinion  about  Florida  not  popular  here. 

CHAPTER  XI 173 

The  cathedral — Regular  attendance  of  its  worshipers — Harsh  tones 
of  the  church  chime — Early  mass — Cathedral  finished  in  1793 — Mate- 
rial employed — Moorish  belfry — Irreverent  visitors — Religion  of  the 
natives  a  part  of  their  existence — The  bishop  regarded  as  a  vicegerent 
— Mistaken  conclusions  of  outsiders  —  Peculiar  frescoes  representing 
death— Christmas  Eve— Ceremonial  conducted  by  Bishop  Verot — Ad- 
ministration of  the  sacrament — Tolemato  Cemetery — Its  custodian — 
Murder  of  Father  Corpa  by  the  Indians — Chapel  dedicated  to  Father 
Varela — Tablet-inscriptions  erased  by  time — A  medallion  supposed  to 
have  been  worn  by  Father  Corpa,  which  was  brought  from  Rome. 


12  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XII 183 

Castle  San  Marco — Indestructibility  of  the  material  employed — Com- 
menced in  1565 — Completed  by  Montiano,  1756,  with  the  aid  of  Mex- 
ican convicts — Attacked  by  Oglethorpe — Appearance  in  1740  —  Im- 
proper change  of  names — Description  of  Fort  Marion — Its  resemblance 
to  Scott's  Garde  Douloreuse — The  chapel  and  its  holy  mysteries — Iron 
cages — Caving  in  of  the  bastion — Xo  cages  sent  to  the  Smithsonian 
Institute — The  wooden  machine — The  old  sergeant — Human  bones  not 
unusual  in  other  ruins — Spaniards  branded  with  the  cruelties  of  the 
Inquisition — True  version  of  the  iron  cages  from  Sefior  B.  Oliveros — Xo 
nation  exempt  from  cruelties  during  some  period  of  their  history — The 
Western  Indians  retained  as  hostages  in  the  fort. 

CHAPTER  XIII 198 

The  sea-wall — when  commenced — Material  employed — Boulevard  of 
the  city — City  gates  and  vandal  visitors — Tapoquoi  village — Murder 
of  Father  Eodriguez — La  Sylphide  rose — Fine  pulpit  talent — Sabbath 
in  January — The  Presbyterian  Church — Flowers  from  the  gardens  of 
Messrs.  Alexander  and  Atwood — Gushing  young  men — Dr.  Daniel  F. 
March  and  his  words  of  comfort — A  description  of  the  Episcopal 
church — A  curious  question  about  disputed  grounds — Dr.  Root,  the 
clergyman — A  peculiar  man  and  his  dog,  that  walked  into  the  church 
from  habit — St.  Augustine  a  restorer  to  both  health  and  reason — Pub- 
lic reading-room — Circulating  library — What  shall  we  eat? — Ships 
constantly  coining  in  with  supplies — Fresh  vegetables — Oranges — 
Hotels  and  fine  boarding-houses — Growlers — Gratuitous  hospitality 
now  obsolete — The  most  eligible  houses — Summer  resort — Pleasant 
people  found  by  the  sea. 

CHAPTER  XIV 214 

How  they  spend  their  time  in  the  ancient  city — A  slight  departure 
into  history — Different  kinds  of  visitors — Grand' opening  of  the  Lunch- 
basket  on  the  North  Beach — Music  and  moonlight  on  the  water — The 
Indian  buffalo-hunt  near  the  old  fort — Dancing  inside  by  the  Indian 
prisoners — Preparation  for  a  gala  day,  March,  1877  —  Post-band  — 
Yacht-race — A  jockey-race — The  hurdle — A  foot-race  by  the  Indians 
— Wheelbarrow  contest — Victor  and  greenbacks — Ham  and  money — 
The  cat  a  musical  animal — St.  Augustine  Hotel,  where  music  is  made 
from  their  sinews. 

CHAPTER  XV 224 

Longevity  in  St.  Augustine — Manufacture  of  orange  marmalade  and 
wine — "El  Pavo  Real" — Genovar  Jk  Brother,  wine-makers — Visit- 
ors leaving — A  page  from  unwritten  history— Tolling  the  bells  for  the 
pope — Grand  illumination  by  the  Yacht  Club — The  ignes-fatui  boats 
— String-band  and  dancing — Capricious  weather  a  comfort  to  growlers 
— A  change  to  balmy  air  and  waving  palms — The  Indians  leave — They 
have  no  use  for  Government  clothes  on  the  plains — Mrs.  Black  Horse 
and  Mochi  dressed  in  hats  and  plumes — The  Indians  leave  their 
Moody  tt  Sankey  song-books — A  picture»written  letter  from  the  squaw 
of  Minimic — These  Indians  differ  from  novel-writer  characters — The 
strain  of  civilization  during  their  stay  being  too  great  they  mutiny, 
headed  by  White  Horse — A  squad  of  soldiers  from  the  barracks  search 


Contents.  13 

and  iron  four  of  them — Fort  closed  to  visitors — They  pine  for  home, 
the  aristocracy  of  their  nature  scorning  restraint — Money  made  by 
polishing  sea-beans,  etc. — Description  of  St.  Anastasia  Island — Ponies 
feeding  on  marsh-grass — Attack  of  General  Oglethorpc  in  1740 — The 
old  light-house  built  by  the  Spanish,  and  used  as  a  fortress — Fresh 
water  in  mid-ocean  caused  from  lime-sinks — Treaty  of  Fort  Moultrie 
— Origin  of  the  Seminoles. 

CHAPTER  XVI 235 

Burning  of  the  Spanish  Governor's  son  by  the  Indians  over  a  century 
since — The  Great  Spirit  as  arbiter — Fort  Matanzas — Its  age,  use,  pres- 
ent appearance — Entered  by  an  escalade — Xew  Smyrna  settled  by  Dr. 
Turnbull  with  his  Greek  colony — They  at  first  engage  in  the  culture 
of  indigo,  which  soon  fails — Great  dissatisfaction  among  the  colonists, 
who  are  finally  released,  and  retire  to  St.  Augustine — The  Douglass 
Dummit  Plantation — Indian  Key  Massacre,  August  15, 1840 — Murmur- 
ings  of  the  citizens. 

CHAPTER  XVII 245 

The  Everglades  Expedition,  under  Colonel  Harney,  1841 — Prepara- 
tions— Spanish  Indians — Leave  Fort  Dallas,  arriving  at  Chitto's  Island 
— The  bird  flown — Sam  Jones's  Island,  containing  villages  and  pleas- 
ure-grounds— The  soldiers  greatly  annoyed  by  roaches  and  tnuaquitoea 
— Prophet's  Island — Discovery  by  Indians — Sergeant  Searles  mortally 
wounded — Arrival  at  New  River — Fort  Dallas — General  appearance 
and  extent  of  the  Everglades — Manilla  hemp  and  the  cotton-plant 
indigenous — Eeturn  of  Colonel  Harney — Grand  ovation  in  St.  Augus- 
tine— Sorrowful  reflection  on  the  situation — Present  inhabitants  of 
the  Everglades — Old  Tiger  Tail — Intrenches  himself  in  Mexico  as 
brigand,  afterward  makes  his  way  to  Florida,  and  becomes  chief  of 
the  Seminoles — Father  Dufau  goes  to  the  Everglades  as  a  missionary 
— "  Two  squaws  no  good  " — Dress  of  the  Indians — Everglade  alligators 
and  moccasins  no  respecters  of  persons — Primeval  condition  of  the 
country,  with  its  trees,  birds,  and  native  growth. 

CHAPTER  XVIII 260 

From  Jacksonville  to  Cedar  Keys — The  Florida  Central — Baldwin — 
Alligators  and  moccasins — West  India  Transfer  Railroad — Piney  Woods 
— Trail  Ridge — Lawtey — Starke — Turpentine  distillery — Serenades — • 
Waldo — Alachua  county — Hummock-lands  and  phosphates — The  in- 
dignant Boston  lady — Alachua  settled  in  1750  by  an  Indian  named 
Secoffe — Juggs  or  sinks — Approach  to  Gainesville — This  town  named 
for  General  E.  P.  Games  —  Accommodations  for  visitors  —  Tillandsia 
and  its  uses — Orange  Lake  the  natural  home  of  the  orange — Budded 
trees — Eucalyptus-tree  for  malarial  districts — Information  on  the  sub- 
ject of  lands — Orange  City,  Arredondo,  Albion,  and  other  prospective 
cities — Bronson — Its  good  settlers — Otter  Creek — "  Great  Gulf  Hum- 
mock " — Its  tropical  growth. 

CHAPTER  XIX 270 

Cedar  Keys,  the  terminus  of  the  West  India  Transit  Railway — Extor- 
tion— Dr.  Mcllvaine's  Hotel — Fourth  of  July  toasts,  1843— Steamers 
from  Cedar  Keys  to  Manatee — Early  settlement  of  Clear  Water  Har- 
bor— The  unfortunate  Xarvaez — Inaccessibility  of  South  Florida — 


1 4  Contents. 

Manatee — Its  dwellings  embowered  among  orange- trees — Tenacity  of 
contesting  Indians — Their  independence  subdued  by  association — The 
cactus  pear  eaten  by  Indians — Present  population — Church  privileges 
for  worship — Schools  —  Good  physicians  —  Sowing  before  reaping — 
Boarding-houses  kept  as  sanitariums — Pantry  supplies — Fine  fish — 
An  Elysium  for  rheumatics — Xo  starving — The  grape-culture  suggested 
— Also  wine-making — A  variety  of  crops — Sugar-cane  ratooning  for 
six  years — Old-fashioned  bees  in  gums — This  locality  a  fine  resort  for 
those  who  wish  to  avoid  cold — The  sunny-side  of  nature  turned  out 
in  February — Oleander  and  orange-buds  bursting  their  pink  and 
white  petals — The  banana — Spring  flowers,  etc. — Zephyr  breezes — The 
rose — "A  child  of  summer" — Historic  records- — lion.  Judah  P.  Ben- 
jamin— Remains  of  the  mastodon  and  megatherium. 

CHAPTER  XX 285 

Tampa — Undisturbed  slumbers — First  settlement  by  Narvaez — Poor 
Juan  Ortiz  ! — Ilis  vigils  among  the  dead — Espiritu  Santo  Bay — De  Soto 
and  his  festive  soldiers — Billy  Bowlegs — Cedar  and  pine  lumber-mills 
in  Tampa — A  school  and  its  teacher — Old  Tampa — Uses  of  the  cabbage 
palm — Fort  Brooke — Appeal  of  General  Worth  to  the  vanity  of  Coa- 
eooohee,  which  finally  results  in  his  band  being  sent  West — An  invo- 
cation to  the  Great  Spirit  during  a  storm. 

CHAPTER  XXI 296 

Marooning  from  Tampa  to  Key  West — Drum-fish — Loons — Acrobat 
fleas — Roaches — Bilge-water — The  Methodist  preacher  and  his  chil- 
dren— Sailor's  fare — Landing  lady-passengers — Terrasilla  Island  and 
its  products — Madam  Joe — The  romantic  young  couple — Sarasota  Bay 
— Stock-raising  —  Health  — Mangrove  thickets  —  Perpetual  verdure — 
Palmetto  houses— Striking  for  nsh — Varied  amusements  for  visitors — 
Hunting  deer — Bugs  and  butterflies — Egmont  Key — Rare  shells  and  a 
rarer  Spiritualist,  with  his  toothless  wife — Professor  Agassiz— Bucca- 
neers— Jean  Lafitte — Sunset  at  sea — Isles  of  the  sea — Boca  Grande — 
Felippe  the  Spaniard,  and  his  Indian  concubines— Polly  goes  West  for 
money — Punta  Rassa,  the  terminus  of  the  International  Telegraph. 

CHAPTER  XXII 318 

Alone  with  God  and  Ihe  stars — Phosphorescent  waves — Reefs  and  coral 
formation — Key  West — Cocoa-trees — Chief  of  the  Everglades — Dwell- 
ings— Inhabitants — Early  settlers — Conchs — Their  origin  and  occupa- 
tion— Court  of  Admiralty — Wrecking — The  International  Telegraph 
Survey — Public  schools — The  sisters — Cigar-makers — Reading  while 
working — Monkey -jugs  and  their  use — Cochineal — Sponge  and  spong- 
ers—Fort Taylor  and  other  fortifications — Curiosity  -  shop — Captain 
Dixon  its  Greek  keeper. 

CHAPTER  XXIII 327 

Middle  Florida  and  South  Georgia — Jealousy  between  Middle  and  East 
Florida — Good  landed  titles  in  Middle  Florida — Disappointment  the 
result  of  overestimation — Xo  spot  with  every  thing  desirable — Dis- 
eased people  tinctured  with  a  sullen  melancholy — Lake  Citv — Deriva- 
tion of  the  name — The  citizens — Style  of  architecture  adapted  to  the 
climate — Products — Atmosphere  for  asthmatics — Monticello— Its  peo- 


Contents.  15 

pie — Former  wealth  evidenced  by  the  numerous  freed  men — Good  hotel 
here — The  festive  frogs:  great  variety,  some  with  loud-sounding  voices 
— The  "  pretty  frog"  that  went  to  England — The  singing-wasp — -Tal- 
lahassee, where  De  Soto  spends  his  first  winter,  1539 — The  Spanish 
soldiers  and  their  armor — Town  incorporated,  1825 — Corner-stone  of 
the  capitol  laid,  1826 — Situation  of  Tallahassee — Governor  Reed's  mes- 
sage, 1840 — Blood-hounds  and  leash-men  from  Cuba — Two  Indians 
caught  by  them — Bounties  on  heads — Indian  scare — Only  a  goat — In- 
dians attack  wagons,  relieving  negroes  of  their  clothing — Former 
wealth  and  culture  in  Tallahassee — Colonel  Murat  and  his  mother 
come  to  America — Visit  the  Catholic  Bishop,  but  not  in  regal  style — 
The  neighbors  are  disappointed  in  a  king's  son — Birthplace,  home, 
and  early  associations  ot  the  gifted  authoress,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Bryan — 
"Wakulla  Spring,  with  a  beautiful  description  by  Bartram — Chattahoo- 
chee — State  penitentiary — Montgomery  and  Eufaula  route  to  Florida 
— Town  of  Quincy — Mountain-streams  with  a  musical  cadence — Cuban 
tobacco  and  scuppernong  grapes  grown  here — Stage  communication 
between  Quincy  and  Bainbridge — Cherokee  rose-hedges — Bainbridge 
— Its  decline  on  account  of  railway  communication — Thomasville — 
Mitchell  House — Gulf  House — Embowered  dwellings — Brisk  trade — 
Newspapers — Female  college — Churches — Former  wealth  of  Thomas 
county — Colored  politicians  prefer  speaking  by  proxy — Xo  water  com- 
munication from  Thomasville — "Wire-grass  country — Quitman — Home- 
like hotels — Cotton  factory — Valdosta — Pine-trees — Plenty  to  eat — 
Valdosta  editor — Crowds  on  public  days — Trip  on  the  Gulf  road — The 
light-wood  fires  an  epitome  of  the  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainment. 

CHAPTER  XXIV 355 

Pensacola  musings — Its  early  settlement  and  capacious  harbor — Origin 
of  the  name — The  soil  contains  clay  for  brick  and  pottery — Casa  Blanca 
— The  city  conquered  by  the  Spaniards — Causes  for  its  not  competing 
with  other  Gulf  cities — Description  of  Fort  Barrancas — It  is  supposed 
to  contain  a  dungeon — Fort  Pickens — Fort  St.  Michael  and  Fort  St. 
Bernard — Ten  dollars  offered  for  the  scalps  of  colonists — General  move- 
ments of  General  Andrew  Jackson — Governor  Callavea  in  the  cala- 
boose— Description  of  the  old  plaza — Present  appearance  of  Pensacola 
— It  contains  110  fabled  fountains — A  plank  walk  on  which  sailors  reel 
like  drunken  elephants — Prosperity  of  the  place  dependent  on  the 
demand  for  lumber — Commotion  on  the  arrival  of  a  ship — Eesin- 
ous  wood  and  its  light  accompaniments — The  Indians  hated  to  leave 
it — Ferdinand  Park  and  its  rural  scenery — The  market-house — The 
singing  fishermen — The  proud  fishermen  with  their  big  fish — An  ox- 
horn  announces  the  sales — Fresh-water  wells — Drawers  of  water  lose 
their  vocation — Porpoises — Tropical  fruit-culture  not  very  successful 
here — The  washing  bayou  and  its  water-nymphs — Florida  hunters — 
The  fleet-footed  fawn  a  past  record — The  yellow-fever  visitor — Pcrdi- 
do,  or  Lost  Bay — Escambia  Bay — The  alligator:  her  nest,  and  her 
young — Churches — Free  schools — Catholic  schools — Episcopal  school, 
and  its  founder,  Mrs.  Dr.  Scott. 

CHAPTER  XXV., 378 

Leaving  Pensacola — Contentment  in  our  moving  habitation — A  calm 
— Physalia  utriculus — A  genuine  nor'-wester  and  its  accompaniments 
— A  moment  of  terror — Morning  at  last — Isle  of  Pines  and  its  products 


16  Contents. 

— Pirates — Water-spouts — Early  history  of  Cuba — The  Spaniards  burn 
an  Indian — Cienfuegos — The  fort  on  the  bay— Cuban  houses — Clothing 
of  (he  children — Cruelty  to  northern  seamen — Mother  Carey  and  her 
unlucky  chickens — The  fate  of  the  insurgents,  and  their  numerical 
strength — "  La  Purisima  Conception  " — Neglect  of  ceremonial  duties — 
The  church  inside — Its  lady-attendants  furnish  their  seats — The  slave 
receives  a  gentle  admonition — The  largest  plaza  on  the  island — The 
beautiful  sefioritas  and  the  band-music. 

CHAPTER  XXVI 399 

Distances  from  Cienfuegos  to  Havana — Eailroads — Three  classes  of 
passenger-cars — Smoking — Rain-drops — Harvest — LoJ  the  poor  ox — 
Goads  —  Suga-r-cane  in  bloom. —  Cattle-herders  —  The  war  —  Arabian 
stock  of  horses — Devastations  by  the  insurgents — Vegetation  and  va- 
riety— Depots  and  drinking — Flowers — Fences  from  vegetation — Royal 
palm  and  its  uses — Slaves  gathering  palm-fruit — Great  variety  o* 
growth — Cactus  family — Sugar  and  sugar-makers — Negro  slaves  and 
coolies — Their  miserable  quarters — Chicken-fighting — Inhuman  treat- 
ment of  the  poor  fowls — Matanzas — A  Pentecostal  illustration — "En- 
glish and  French  spoken" — Dinner  and  its  condiments— Matanzas 
Bay  at  night — The  tough  old  tars — Their  families  on  shore — The  phos- 
phorescent lights  on  the  water — The  plaza  and  hotel — Our  French 
valet  de  chambre — Siesta — My  cafe— El  voiante — Up  the  mountain-side 
— El  Cueva  de  Sellamar,  being  a  remarkable  subterranean  temple — 
Stalactites  and  stalagmites — Names  given  to  the  different  formations 
inside  the  cave — Return  to  Matanzas. 

CHAPTER  XXVII 424 

From  Matanzas  to  Havana — Buzzards — Description  of  El  Moro  Castle, 
A.D.  1519— Captured,  1619,  by  Sir  George  Pocock— El  Moro  like  the 
Venetian  "Bridge  of  Sighs" — Havana  a  century  since — Its  harbor 
and  fleet  of  ships — Architecture  of  the  houses— Narrow  streets — A 
view  from  El  San  Carlos  Hotel — Beautiful  moonlight  on  the  bay — El 
Paseo— French  coaches — Residence  of  the  Captain-general — Ladies 
shopping  in  volantes — Market-house — Mules,  panniers,  etc. — Work- 
ing-class receive  an  early  supply  of  grace — No  Sabbath  here — "Lot- 
tera" — Beggars — Description  of  the  cathedral — Bishop — Acolytes — • 
Organ — Tomb  of  Columbus — Santo  Christobal — His  life  and  mission 
as  Christ-bearer — Cemetario  de  Espeda — Its  walls,  vaults,  tablets,  in- 
scriptions— Three  bodies  for  sepulture — The  poor  without  coffins — 
The  Protestant  dead  not  admitted  in  Catholic  grounds — Fragility  of 
promises  in  Cuba. 


A  Ramble  into  the  Early  History  of  Florida 439 

Florida  Gazetteer,  etc , 481 


JJetals  fptucncd  from  jjfonnjj  Climes. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TRIP  to  Florida  during  the  winter  season 
is  now  the  popular  move  for  everybody, 
whether  invalid  or  not,  which  those  living 
in  so  close  proximity  as  Atlanta  find  diffi- 
cult to  resist. 
Atlanta  is  a  delightful  summer  resort,  situated 
a  thousand  feet  above  sea-level,  visited  by  healthful 
mountain  breezes  in  summer,  besides  being  blessed 
with  the  purest  of  freestone  and  chalybeate  water  in 
the  world.  The  night  passenger  train  leaves  at  10 
P.M.  for  Macon,  one  hundred  and  five  miles  distant. 
We  arrive  in  Macon  about  7  A.M.,  where,  after 
being  fortified  with  a  good  breakfast  at  the  Brown 
House,  the  train  departs  for  Savannah — Macon  be- 
ing the  commencement  of  the  mountain-slope  which 
continues  to  the  sea-shore.  Many  pleasant  little 
towns  are  passed  through  on  the  route,  most  of 
which  have  never  recovered  from  the  devastating 
effects  of  the  war. 

Savannah  is  at  last  reached,   one  hundred  and 
ninety-two  miles  from  Macon.     To  say  that  Savan- 
2  (17) 


18  Petals  Plucked  from  Sanny  Climes. 

11  ah  is  a  pleasant  place  conveys  an  indefinite  idea 
of  its  attractiveness.  Many  persons  stop  to  remain 
only  a  night,  but  are  so  much  pleased  they  tarry  a 
month  before  proceeding  farther  South. 

The  present  site  of  Savannah  is  where  General 
Oglethorpe  was  met,  in  1733,  by  the  Yamacraw 
Indians,  who,  after  he  had  landed,  presented  him 
with  a  buffalo -skin,  on  the  inside  of  which  Avas 
painted  the  plumage  of  an  eagle,  accompanied  with 
the  following  address:  "The  feathers  of  the  eagle," 
said  the  chief,  "are  soft,  and  signify  love;  the  buf- 
falo-skin is  warm,  the  emblem  of  protection;  there- 
fore love  and  protect  onr  families."  Oglethorpe,  in 
coming  to  America,  was  stimulated  with  the  desire 
of  finding  a  home  for  the  oppressed  Protestants  and 
bankrupt  gentlemen  of  England.  Upon  the  adjust- 
ment of  terms  with  the  Indians  he  proceeded  to  lay 
out  the  city  of  Savannah  with  the  greatest  regular- 
ity. It  then  contained  ten  public  squares  of  two 
acres  each,  in  which  were  trees,  walks,  and  a  pump. 
The  number  of  squares  has  now  been  increased  to 
twenty-four — the  walks  all  being  paved  with  granite, 
and  swept  daily.  Forsyth  Park  is  on  a  more  ex- 
tended plan  than  these  small  squares,  containing  a 
large  fountain,  fine  flowers,  magnolia  grandiflora 
trees,  a  small  zoological  collection — all  objects  of 
interest,  displaying  the  taste  and  refinement  of  a 
well-cultured  people.  Pulaski  Square  is  named  for 
Count  Pulaski,  who  was  mortally  wounded  during 
the  American  Revolution  while  in  an  engagement 

O     O 

on  the  ground  where  the  Central  Depot  now  stands. 
He  died  on  board  the  brig  Wasp  as  she  was  leaving 


A  SCENE  IN  FORSYTE  PARK,  SAVANNAH. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  19 

Tybee  for  Charleston,  when  his  body  was  consigned 
to  the  sea.  The  citizens  of  Georgia,  through  their 
munificent  bequests,  have  erected  in  Monterey 
Square  a  monument  to  Count  Pulaski,  the  corner- 
stone of  which  was  laid  when  General  La  Fayette 
visited  America  for  the  last  time. 

Savannah  has  made  another  tine  exhibit  of  her 
discriminating  powers  in  selecting  a  retired  and 
lovely  spot,  made  sacred  to  them  by  depositing  all 
that  remains  of  the  loved  ones  who  have  crossed 
the  river  a  little  before.  They  have  christened  it 
Bonaventure,  derived  from  the  Spanish,  signifying, 
Coming  good.  Here  rest,  in  the  unyielding  embrace 
of  death,  those  whose  warfare  in  life  has  ended, 
where  the  huge  live-oaks,  with  overlapping  limbs, 
entwine  with  their  companions,  forming  natural  tri- 
umphal archways,  while  the  somber-hanging  gray 
moss  clings  lovingly  to  its  outstretched  arms,  waving 
in  the  winds  like  some  weird  fancy  that  lingers  only 
on  the  brink  of  uncertainty.  These  beautiful 
grounds  were  once  the  home  of  the  Tatnall  family, 
but  have  now  been  purchased  and  devoted  to  the 
dwelling  of  the  dead,  whither  the  living  can  come 
and  contemplate  the  change  which  awaits  them  all. 

Travelers,  in  leaving  Savannah  for  Florida,  can 
go  outside  by  sea,  or  the  inland  route,  many  prefer- 
ring the  latter  on  account  of  avoiding  sea-sickness, 
the  passage  being  made  between  sounds,  inlets,  and 
islands,  before  Fernandina  is  reached.  The  inland 
steamers  are  first-class  in  every  respect,  and  the 
long  marsh-grass  contains  many  of  those  colossal 
lizards  called  alligators.  They  crawl  about  fear- 


20  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunnu  Climes. 

lessly  in  their  hiding-places,  while  the  swamp  black- 
bird whistles  very  sweetly  for  us  as  we  pass  along 
so  quietly  most  of  the  time  that  we  are  not  exactly 
certain  of  any  movement,  but  ten  miles  an  hour  is 
the  pro  rata  of  speed. 

"We  are  now  close  to  St.  Simon's  Island,  where 
General  Oglethorpe  commenced  another  settlement 
in  1736,  called  Frederica.  On  this  equable -tem- 
pered island  they  laid  out  a  town,  built  a  fort  with 
four  bastions  to  protect  their  palmetto  cabins,  which, 
as  the  historian  describes  them,  appeared  like  a 
camp  with  bowers,  "  being  covered  with  leaves  of  a 
pleasing  color.'"  Natural  paths  and  arbors  were 
found  here  by  the  English,  as  if  formed  by  the  hand 
of  art,  with  the  ripe  grapes  hanging  in  festoons  of 
a  royal  purple  hue.  The  settlements  made  by  Ogle- 
thorpe in  this  portion  of  the  country  were  the  first 
formed  in  the  true  spirit  of  improvement  and  colo- 
nization. 

With  him  came  the  great  founder  of  Methodism 
in  America,  Wesley,  who  planted  his  standard  on 
this  island,  and  mentions  their  object  in  the  follow- 
ing manner:  "It  is  not  to  gain  riches  and  honor, 
but  to  live  wholly  to  the  glory  of  God,  as  we  have 
come  in  the  serene  hour  of  peace,  when  the  floods  of 
controversy  have  subsided,  to  sow  the  gospel  seeds." 

John  Bartram.  visited  St.  Simon's  Island  in  1744, 
and  makes  the  following  record  of  his  repast  with  a 
friend:  "Our  rural  table  was  spread  under  the 
shadow  of  oaks,  palms,  and  sweet-bays,  fanned  by 
the  lively,  salubrious  breezes,  wafted  from  the  spicy 
groves.  Our  music  was  the  responsive  love-lays  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  21 

the  painted  nonpareil  and  the  alert,  gay  mocking- 
bird, while  the  brilliant  humming -bird  darted 
through  the  flowery  groves,  suspended  in  air,  drink- 
ing nectar  from  the  blooms  of  the  yellow  jasmine, 
lonicera,  andromeda,  and  azalea." 

As  we  approach  Fernandina  we  are  nearing  his- 
toric ground — Dungenness,  once  a  most  charming 
and  attractive  place,  located  near  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  Cumberland  Island,  the  former  home  of 
Nathanael  Greene,  of  revolutionary  fame,  where  his 
last  days  were  spent  peacefully,  of  which  pleasant 
period  he  thus  speaks:  "The  mocking-birds  that 
sing  around  me  morning  and  evening,  the  mild  and 
balmy  atmosphere,  with  the  exercise  which  I  find  in 
my  garden  culture."  This  locality  seemed  to  have 
constituted  a  happy  close  to  his  eventful  career. 

The  English  planted  an  olive-grove  on  this  island 
that  succeeded  well,  as  though  the  trees  were  indite- 

*  o  c? 

nous.  They  used  the  fruit  in  making  pickles,  which 
were  considered  very  fine.  Is  it  not  the  olive-tree 
which  the  Christian  should  love  and  venerate,  even 
to  the  "hoary  dimness  of  its  delicate  foliage,  sub- 
dued and  faint  of  hue,  as  though  the  ashes  of  the 
Gethsernane  agony  had  been  cast  upon  it  forever?" 
It  was  at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  trees  from  which  it  derives  its  name, 
that  was  selected  for  the  most  mournful  of  scenes — 
"  The  Saviour's  Passion."  The  good  and  the  wild 
olive-tree  will  flourish  in  this  climate.  It  was  these 
trees  which  furnished  the  Apostle  Paul  with  one  of 
his  most  powerful  allegories.  The  wild  olive  blooms 
in  March,  producing  a  profusion  of  pink -tinted, 


22  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

white,  star-shaped  flowers,  while  its  polished,  ever- 
green verdure,  remains  all  the  year,  affording  a  com- 
pact and  beautiful  shade. 

On  this  island,  before  the  late  war,  was  seen  a 
scuppernong  grape-vine,  nearly  three  hundred  years 
old,  supposed  to  have  been  planted  by  the  Spanish 
missionaries.  It  was  then  pronounced  a  prolific 
bearer,  producing  two  thousand  pounds  of  fruit  per 
annum,  and  covering  nearly  three  acres  of  ground. 
Here  rests  all  that  remains  of  Light-Horse  Harry 
Lee,  the  gifted  and  honored  dead.  "  Here  his  lamp 
of  life  flickered  before  being  extinguished."  He 
died  March  25,  1818.  The  decaying  marks  of  time, 
and  the  more  ruthless  destruction  of  war,  have  fear- 
fully invaded  and  devastated  this  once  revered  retreat. 
"Silent  though  it  be,  there  are  memories  lingering 
still  vocal  amid  the  mutations  of  fortune  and  the 
desolations  of  war — memories  which  carry  the  heart 
back  to  happy  days  and  peculiar  excellences  which 
come  not  again." 

When  General  R.  E.  Lee  last  visited  Savannah 
the  burial-place  of  his  illustrious  parent  was  not  for- 
gotten. It  was  the  only  tribute  of  respect  which 
his  great  feeling  heart  could  bestow,  the  last  mission 
of  love  he  was  able  to  perform.  Did  he  think  before 
spring  should  return  again,  decked  in  her  gay  robes, 
flinging  ten  thousand  odors  upon  its  balmy  breath, 
that  his  grave  would  then  be  visited  by  weeping 
friends,  and  that  loving  hands  should  twine  fresh 
flowers  for  his  remains? 

How  sleep  the  brave  who  sink  to  rest, 
By  all  their  country's  honors  blest! 


Pdals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  23 

We  next  pass  the  mouth  of  St.  Mary's  River,  the 
source  of  which  is  a  vast  lake,  where  dwelt  the  far- 
famed  beautiful  women,  or  Daughters  of  the  Sun. 
These  were  the  last  of  the  Yemassee  tribe,  who 
had  intrenched  themselves  here  for  protection,  all 
efforts  to  pursue  them  being  like  the  enchanted 
lands,  which  receded  as  they  were  approached. 

Fernandina  is  situated  on  Amelia  Island,  which 
is  eighteen  miles  in  length  and  two  in  width.  Ves- 
sels can  approach  the  harbor  any  time  without  fear 
from  shoals,  as  the  water  on  the  bar  will  always  fur- 
nish an  average  of  nineteen  feet.  Its  first  settlers, 
as  of  many  other  places  in  Florida,  were  Spaniards, 
a  few  of  whom  are  remaining.  During  the  move- 
ments of  the  Embargo  War,  together  with  the  pri- 
vateers and  slavers,  three  hundred  square-rigged 
vessels  have  been  seen  in  this  harbor  at  one  time. 
Another  settler  mentions  the  mounds  when  the 
country  was  first  explored  by  the  Spaniards. 

General  Oglethorpe,  like  other  explorers  in  Amer- 
ica, was  impressed  with  the  coast  of  Florida,  and 
thus  speaks  of  Amelia  Island  :  "  The  sea-shore,  cov- 
ered with  myrtle  and  peach-trees,  orange-trees  and 
vines  in  the  wild  \voods,  where  echoed  the  sound  of 
melody  from  the  turtle-doves,  nonpareils,  red-birds, 
and  mocking-birds."  Different  nationalities  looked 
upon  Amelia  Island  with  longing  eyes  for  many 
years,  coveting  it  for  their  possession. 

In  1817,  Gregor  McGregor,  a  Scottish  baronet — 
an  enthusiast  on  the  subject  of  contest — came,  with 
only  fifty  followers,  making  proclamations  and  issu- 
ing edicts,  of  more  magnitude  than  plans  for  their 


24  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes. 

execution,  but  soou  retired  to  the  quieter  quarters 
of  his  Highland  home. 

Afterward  came  Commodore  Aury,  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men,  on  a  filibustering  expedition,  and 
overpowered  the  Spanish  troops.  At  this  time  it 
would  have  been  a  difficult  task  to  find  a  more  mot- 
ley, medley  crowd  of  residents  in  any  country  than 
upon  Amelia  Island,  composed  of  English  advent- 
urers, Irish  and  French  refugees,  Scotch,  Mexicans, 
Spaniards,  privateers,  natives,  and  negroes.  Fac- 
tions of  such  varied  dispositions  and  inclinations 
were  not  designed  to  promote  harmony  in  any  com- 
munity; consequently,  riots  and  disturbances  were 
of  frequent  occurrence. 

Previous  to  this  movement  by  Aury,  negotiations 
had  been  pending  between  the  United  States  and 
the  Spanish  Government  for  Florida;  consequently, 
President  Monroe  and  his  Cabinet  looked  upon  the 
disputed  property,  in  a  manner,  as  their  own  posses- 
sions. These  Spaniards,  being  unable  to  expel  the 
privateering  adventurers,  President  Monroe  sent 
United  States  troops,  which  took  possession  of  Fer- 
nandina  without  resistance,  in  the  name  of  His 
Catholic  Majesty  of  Spain.  This  event  happened 
in  the  spring  of  1818. 

On  Amelia  Island  is  situated  a  light-house,  which 
exhibits  a  flash-light,  one  hundred  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  visible  sixteen  miles.  The  tower  is 
built  upon  a  promontory  which  overlooks  the  sur- 
rounding country  and  the  Atlantic  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  extend. 

At  Fernandinathe  Atlantic  Gulf  and  West  India 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  25 

Transit  Railroad  commences,  where  the  gentleman- 
ly officers  connected  with  and  in  charge  of  the  road 
reside.  The  obliging  superintendent  is  always  in 
readiness  here  to  give  information  upon  the  peculiar 
facilities  resulting  from  living  on  this  route,  as  a 
health -location,  besides  being  so  closely  connected 
by  steam-ships  with  all  parts  of  the  world.  It  now 
contains  a  population  of  about  three  thousand  in- 
habitants, and,  on  account  of  the  fine  sea  air,  lias 
been  a  resort  for  manv  years  during  the  summer 

*/       \J  O 

season  by  persons  from  the  interior  of  the  State. 

The  misfortunes  of  our  late  war  fell  heavily  on 
Fernandina,  crippling  its  energies  and  crushing  its 
present  prospects  for  a  time.  The  real  estate  of  its 
residents  was  contiscated  and  sold  for  taxes.  Some 
of  it  has  been  redeemed,  and  the  remainder  is  pass- 
ing through  a  series  of  lengthy  litigations,  which, 
when  settled,  are  designed  to  decide  the  validity  ot 
tax-sales  generally  throughout  the  entire  State.  The 
present  condition  of  affairs  places  the  inhabitants  in 
rather  a  Micawber-like  condition,  waiting  for  some- 
thing to  turn  up  in  the  future. 

As  a  resort  far  away  from  the  busy,  bustling  cares 
of  life,  this  place  seems  peculiarly  fine.  The  island 
being  entirely  surrounded  by  salt-water,  a  delightful 
breeze  visits  the  inhabitants  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year — in  summer,  zephyry  as  the  vale  of  Cashmere, 
or  the  soft  winds  which  bore  the  silver-oared  barge 
of  Cleopatra  through  the  Cydnus.  The  most  at- 
tractive feature  of  all  in  this  locality  is  the  beautiful 
beach,  connected  with  the  town  by  a  good  shell-road 
two  miles  in  length,  bordering  the  island  for  twenty- 
2* 


26  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clinics. 

one  miles,  and  over  two  hundred  yards  in  width.  It 
is  this  unsurpassed  drive  about  which  the  inhabit- 
ants love  to  entertain  you  at  all  times,  until  you  can 
see  it  in  your  dreams.  A  good  livery-stable  is  kept 
here,  well  filled  with  tine,  fast  horses,  trained  to  trot, 
or  wade  in  the  surf,  allowing  visitors  to  admire  the 
wonderful  vastness  of  the  most  beautiful  expanse  of 
waters  which  wash  the  Atlantic  shores.  At  ebb-tide 
the  imagination  cannot  conceive  of  a  finer  place,  the 
beach  being  so  firm  that  a  pair  of  horses  and  car- 
riage scarcely  make  an  indentation  on  the  surface  in 
passing  over  it.  The  pavement  is  God's  own  work- 
manship, being  composed  of  white  sand,  occasionally 
interspersed  with  shells,  many  of  them  the  tiniest  in 
existence.  Here  the  happy  sea-birds  ride  on  the  sil- 
very foam,  or  flit  across  the  breezy  water;  the  sea- 
gulls and  pelicans  luxuriate  and  flap  their  wings  in 
peaceful  quietude,  while  the  sand -crab  takes  his 
walks,  standing  upright  like  a  pigmy  of  the  human 
species,  presenting  arms  in  a  soldier- like  manner, 
and  never  turning  his  back,  however  hotly  pursued. 
These  are  in  reality  very  curious  little  creatures,  re- 
minding us  of  the  Lilliputians  in  Gulliver's  Travels. 
Here  the  turtle  conies  to  deposit  her  eggs  beyond 
high-water  mark,  and  when  they  are  hatched  re- 
turns to  escort  a  family  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
babies  to  her  home  in  the  sea.  Here  the  bright 
moonbeams  dance  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  in 
silence  and  solitude,  until  it  resembles  the  surface 
of  a  silver  mirror.  Many  pretty  shells  are  found  on 
this  beach,  of  various  sizes  and  designs,  with  occa- 
sionally desirable  cabinet  specimens,  which  are 


Petals  Plucked  from  Saniuj  Climes. 


27 


thrown  out  when  the  waters  become  much  agitated. 
Tliis  is  the  spot  for  the  jilted  lover  to  forget  his  idol, 
and  the  disconsolate  lady  her  imaginary  devotee; 
for  those  fretted  by  the  rough  edges  of  corroding 
care  to  retire  and  find  a  respite^om  their  struggles; 
the  bankrupt  who  has  been  conquered  in  the  bat- 
tles of  brokerage,  to  visit  and  be  reminded  God  has 
.given  us  more  treasures  to  delight  us  than  the  dross 
which  passes  from  our  grasp  like  a  shadow,  but 
which  all  are  struggling  and  striving  to  win;  the 
store -house  of  the  fathomless  deep,  where  wre  can 
contemplate  that  great  image  of  eternity,  "the  in- 
visible, boundless,  endless,  and  sublime." 


28  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  II. 

leaving  Fernandina  we  come  out  Amelia 
River,  which  is  formed  by  tlie  tide-Avater 
from  the  Atlantic.  We  pass  Old  Town, 
one  mile  from  Fernandina,  which  has  a 
]ook-ont  for  pilots  who  take  vessels  across 
the  bar,  besides  a  few  houses,  the  residence  of  Span- 
iards. Fort  Clinch  is  the  last  noticeable  point  be- 
fore we  reach  the  St.  John's  River  bar. 

It  is  the  month  of  January — a  bland  breeze  greets 
us,  when  our  thoughts  revert  to  the  early  settle- 
ment of  this  country,  when  the  Spanish  galleons— 
a  strange- looking  craft  —  navigated  these  waters; 
also  ponderous  old  ships,  with  sailing  figures  of  vari- 
ous devices  carved  on  their  prows,  and  high-peaked 
sterns,  the  timber  used  being  mahogany  and  cedar, 
many  of  which  were  driven  to  pieces  in  a  most  mer- 
ciless manner  among  the  breakers,  thus  scattering 

o  o 

their  treasures  of  silver  and  gold  on  the  strand,  to 
tempt  and  satisfy  the  cupidity  of  those  who  found 
them.  Vessels  dread  this  bar,  as  those  drawing  only 
six  feet  of  water  are  oftentimes  detained  when  going 
and  returning  with  their  cargoes  of  lumber.  The 
white  caps  wave  their  snowy  plumes,  as  a  warning, 
when  the  wind  blows,  which  sends  terror  to  the 
hearts  of  the  timid,  but  the  more  daring  exclaim,  It 
looks  o-rand ! 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  29 

As  we  cross  the  bar  we  are  in  sight  of  two  resorts 
— Mayport  and  Fort  George  Island — both  places  ar- 
ranged for  the  accommodation  of  summer  and  win- 
ter visitors.  Fishermen  also  live  in  these  diminutive 
towns,  and  are  engaged,  like  the  apostles  when  their 
Saviour  called  them,  in  mending  their  nets.  Shad- 
iishing  is  very  profitable  here  during  the  season. 
Shad  abounds  in  this  river,  and  being  a  delicious 
fish,  it  is  much  sought  after. 

The  various  descriptions  published  from  the  pens 
of  those  who  visit  Florida  now  are  read  by  persons 
looking  to  this  locality  as  a  winter-resort,  or  in  search 
of  new  homes  and  health,  as  items  of  unsurpassed 
interest.  For  this  reason  writers  should  be  reliable 
in  their  statements.  In  many  tourists  the  emotional 
current  is  created  so  fur  from  the  surface  that  it  is  a 
difficult  matter  for  them  to  be  impressed  with  exter- 
nal objects.  For  this  cause  we  meet  with  a  multi- 
tude of  fault-finders. 

Settlers  living  in  remote  localities  from  the  St. 
John's  River  complain  because  visitors  resort  there 
in  preference  to  all  other  parts  of  the  State.  If  the 
facilities  and  inducements  were  the  same  elsewhere, 
the  desire  to  go  would  be  equal;  but  it  requires  the 
fortitude  of  a  Livingstone  to  commence  a  trip  into 
many  of  the  most  attractive  parts  of  Florida,  with 
the  indistinct  prospect  how  the}7  are  to  get  away 
when  inclined  to  make  a  change.  The  Americans 
are  a  restless,  roving  people,  fond  of  varied  scenery, 
and  when  confined  where  they  cannot  get  away,  man- 
ifest very  much  the  disposition  of  caged  captives. 

Laudonniere  thus  speaks  of  the  St.  John's  River: 


80  Petals  Plucked  from  San.ni/  Climes. 

"The  place  is  so  pleasant  that  those  who  are  mel- 
ancholy would  be  forced  to  change  their  humor." 
This  stream,  with  its  tributaries,  is  the  great  artery 
of  the  State,  where  the  savage  roamed  at  will  for 
nearly  three  hundred  years  after  its  settlement  by 
the  Spaniards,  who  came  in  search  of  hidden  treas- 
ures, its  former  history  being  a  page  in  the  past. 
Here  this  river  glides  before  us,  with  its  dark,  cof- 
fee-colored waters,  and  no  perceptible  current  ex- 
cept where  the  tide  comes  in,  it  being  a  remarkable 
stream,  unlike  any  other  in  North  America.  The 
coloring  matter  it  contains  is  not  precipitated  by- 
standing,  and  for  this  reason  is  attributed  to  a  col- 
ored earth  through  which  it  passes  from  the  upper 
lakes,  together  with  the  different  kinds  of  vco;eta- 

'  O  O 

tion  that  environ  it.  It  varies  in  width  from  one  to 
three  miles,  and  is  thought  by  manv  to  be  an  estu- 

»._'•/  V 

ary.  From  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  to  Pilatka 
there  are  numerous  bluffs,  some  of  them  ten  or 
twelve  feet  in  height,  with  an  under- stratum  of 
shells,  on  which  elevations  the  pine-tree  flourishes. 
The  cypress,  ash,  and  cabbage-palmetto  grow  on  the 
banks  above  Pilatka.  The  weeping  cypress,  witli 
its  leafless,  conical  excrescences,  called  knees,  and 
dropsical  feet,  loves  to  be  alone.  It  gives  a  friendly 
greeting  to  the  grav  moss,  which  lives  and  swings 

o  o  o        «/  O 

from  its  tallest  limbs  to  the  lowest  twigs,  furnishing 
a  complete  mantle  of  grace  to  the  naked-appearing 
trees.  This  moss  has  no  affinity  for  the  pine  or 
palm,  which  thrives  in  close  proximity,  colonizing 
and  fraternizing  in  groups,  oftentimes  solitary,  sigh- 
ing or  rustling1  as  the  sea-breeze  comes  to  meet  and 


Petals  Flacked  from  Sunny  Climes.  31 

kiss  its  feathery  crowns  and  perennial  foliage.  A 
few  of  the  trees  are  deciduous,  as  the  swamp-oak, 
ash,  and  poplar:  most  of  the  others  are  persistent, 
the  change  of  foliage  occurring  so  quietly  it  is 
scarcely  observed.  The  mistletoe,  with  its  green, 
tufted  foliage,  fastens  on  the  oak,  and  is  a  regular 
parasite — a  thief — for  it  deprives  the  tree  of  vitality. 
The  mistletoe  seeds  are  used  as  an  article  of  food  by 
the  birds,  and,  being  thus  transported  to  the  forest- 
trees,  adhere  by  means  of  a  gluten  until  germination 
commences. 

The  change  of  flags  in  1821  produced  a  change 
•with  many  of  the  citizens,  when  much  local  infor- 
mation connected  with  the  history  of  Florida  was 
lost.  This  province,  when  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  was  divided  in  two  parts,  called  East  and 
West  Florida.  Petitions  were  then  frequently  for- 
warded to  Washington,  with  a  request  to  have  it 
remain  divided,  as  it  was  inconveniently  large. 
During  the  war  which  soon  followed,  many  new  ex- 
plorations were  made  in  the  hidden  hummocks  and 
intricate  recesses  of  the  State, 

The  drinking -wrater  used  in  Florida  does  not 
come  from  mountain-streams  or  arctic  regions,  but 
in  summer,  mixed  with  sugar  and  lemon-juice,  or 
sour  orange,  forms  a  most  palatable  and  healthful 
mixture. 

Land-snakes  are  not  plentiful,  as  many  have  sup- 
posed, there  being  very  few  but  water-snakes,  which 
can  be  easily  accounted  for,  as  the  intense  heat  from 
the  tires  which  sweep  through  the  long  grass  every 
year  destroy  them  ;  then  there  are  no  rocks  for  their 


32  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

hiding-places,  where  they  could  rear] patriarchal 
families. 

Musquitoes  abound  in  some  places  on  the  coast, 
and  to  the  dwellers  in  tents  the  impression  has,  no 
doubt,  been  received  that  the  air  was  made  of  these 
insects.  There  is  a  due  proportion  of  fleas  in  por- 
tions of  Florida,  but  not  more  than  in  the  sandy 
soil  of  other  countries. 

The  climate  is  constantly  tempered  by  the  Gulf 
Stream,  that  conducts  away  the  tropical  heat,  re- 
turning in  a  submarine  current,  the  cooler  waters 
from  the  North  thus  producing  an  atmosphere  of 
salubrious  influences  and  life-renewing  properties. 

No  month  is  without  its  fresh  products  and  fruits, 
while  every  warm  day  the  mocking-bird  sings  above 
our  heads  on  some  airy  perch. 

Many  theories  have  been  advanced  in  regard  to 
the  formation  of  terra  Jinna  on  our  continent,  the 
one  most  generally  received  being  that  it  was  all 
once  submerged  under  water — as  a  proof  of  which 
shells  and  other  marine  fossils  have  been  found  in 
elevated  positions,  which  only  could  have  been 
placed  there  by  the  sea  overflowing  the  land,  and 
afterward  receding.  When  this  conclusion  is  at- 
tained, Florida  cannot  be  included,  as  every  year 
the  land  augments  from  the  combined  efforts  of  the 
coral  insect,  limulus,  and  barnacles,  together  with 
the  debris  which  is  deposited  upon  them  afterward. 
If  the  disturbing  influences  along  the  shores  were 
less,  the  increase  of  land  would  be  much  greater,  as 
winds  and  waves  are  as  destructive  to  the  prosperity 
of  these  subterranean  architects  as  tornadoes  and 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  33 

cyclones  to  the  growth  of  fine  forest-trees.  The 
coral  insect  is  constantly  working  in  his  briny  bed, 
making  masonry  which  resists  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ment in  which  it  is  placed,  thus  laying  the  founda- 
tion for  islands  and  continents.  It  is  the  work  of 
these  madrepores  and  polyps  that  form  reefs  which 
wreck  so  many  vessels  on  its  coast,  thus  making 
fortunes  for  those  who  follow  salvage  entirely  for  a 
support. 

The  fact  of  Florida  as  a  health -resort  has  long 
been  established,  the  proof  being  furnished  by  the 
length  of  time  consumptives  who  come  for  the  pur- 
pose of  lingering  a  little  longer  than  they  otherwise 
could  North,  and  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  suffi- 
ciently good  health  to  pursue  any  lucrative  vocation 
their  tastes  may  decide,  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
efficacy  of  the  climate  for  pulmonic  complaints.  Ex- 
posure in  Florida,  as  in  other  places,  has  its.pjenal- 
ties  affixed.  ISTear  bodies  of  water  a  chilliness  per- 
vades the  air  as  soon  as  the  sun  sets,  which  is  plainly 
perceptible  to  all  delicate  persons.  No  barometer 
was  ever  more  sensitive  to  atmospheric  variations 
than  the  feelings  of  a  sick  person;  no  magnet  was 
ever  attracted  to  steel  more  suddenly  than  their 
nervous  sensibilities  to  an  agreeable  or  disagreeable 

O  O 

object.  This  prescribing  invariable  rules  for  every 
disease  is  all  a  humbug;  the  patient  is  usually  the 
best  judge.  The  resort  for  invalids,  when  the  dew 
and  shades  of  nis;ht  are  falling  on  the  face  of  nature, 

O  O 

is  before  a  pleasant  light-wood  tire,  surrounded  by 
cheerful  companions-— remembering  that  an  inter- 
view of  the  internal  emotions  frequently  for  the  sick 


84  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

is  not  beneficial.  Try  and  keep  from  thinking  Low 
badly  oft'  you  really  are,  as  much  as  practicable. 
Many  have  lived  for  years  with  only  one  lung.  All 
sudden  changes  from  heat  to  cold  should  be  avoided  : 
when  you  are  cold,  get  warm  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  when  you  are  tired,  stop  —  your  life  depends 
upon  it.  All  invalids  should  select  a  locality  which 
best  suits  their  malady;  then  settle  down,  with  the 
determination  to  extract  all  the  sweets  of  content- 
ment in  store  for  them  which  the  world  contains, 
keeping  their  bodies  comfortable  in  every  respect, 
their  minds  free  from  all  exciting  or  unpleasant 
thoughts,  their  hearts  purified  while  living,  and,  if 
death  comes,  prepared  to  meet  their  Maker. 

About  ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's 
Laudonniere  established  his  Huguenot  colony,  build- 
ing his  fortification  on  a  hill  of  "mean  height," 
naming  it  Caroline,  from  their  sovereign,  Charles 
IX.,  of  France,  now  known  as  St.  John's  Bluft'. 
The  former  site  of  Fort  Caroline  can  be  traced  with 
some  degree  of  accuracy,  from  the  fact  of  this  being 
the  first  point  on  the  river  above  its  mouth  where 
its  banks  are  approached  by  the  stream,  besides 
being  the  only  elevated  spot  where  a  fort  could  be 
built  between  the  St.  John's  Bluff' and  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  As  Fort  Caroline  was  constructed  more 
than  three  hundred  years  a<i;o,  from  materials  of  so 

»/  C? 

perishable  a  nature  —  being  pine-logs  and  sand  — 
none  of  it  remains  to  be  seen  at  the  present  day. 

The  first  lumber-mills  on  the  St.  John's  are  lo- 
cated near  the  estate  of  Marquis  do  Talleyrand, 
eight  miles  from  Jacksonville.  The  busy  hum  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  35 

industry  now  echoes  from  the  shores,  where  [one- 
logs  are  being  sawed  into  material  for  making 
houses,  not  only  in  Florida,  but  in  Boston  and  other 
Northern  cities.  Mr.  Clark's  mill,  in  East  Jackson- 
ville, received  an  order,  after  the  big  Boston  fire, 
for  a  million  feet  at  one  time.  These  mills,  besides 
being  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  owners,  furnish 
work  for  the  poor,  and  the  refuse  pieces  fuel,  while 
in  cold  weather  the  big  fires  that  consume  the  slabs 
afford  a  free  lodging  for  benighted  travelers;  also 
for  those  who  have  no  good  houses,  and  would  be 
unwelcome  visitors  in  almost  any  place. 

Twenty-five  miles  from  the  sea,  on  the  banks  of 
the  St.  John's,  once  stood  an  insignificant  place, 
known  as  Cow  Ford,  but  now  the  fine,  thriving  city 
of  Jacksonville,  named  in  honor  of  General  Andrew 
Jackson.  This  city  is  the  head-center  of  Florida, 
where  visitors  can  come,  and  stay,  with  no  prospect 
of  starving,  and  from  which  place  they  can  migrate 
when  and  where  they  please,  with  ample  facilities 
furnished  them  at  all  times  for  the  furtherance  of 
their  plans. 

A  combination  of  singular  emotions  here  seizes 
the  Northern  visitor,  after  being  transported  in  mid- 
winter from  his  frozen  home  to  a  clime  where  every 
thing  is  fresh  and  blooming,  where  the  market  is 
furnished  with  cabbages,  sweet  potatoes,  lettuce, 
turnips,  green  peas,  and  radishes,  just  gathered,  be- 
sides strawberries  red  as  the  blush  of  morn,  with 
bouquets  of  rose-buds,  upon  which  still  lingers  the 
morning  dew-drop. 

Many  persons  come  here  with  unhappy  tempera- 


36  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ments,  to  whom  peace  and  contentment  in  any  place, 
or  tinder  all  circumstances,  has  been  deficient,  but 
always  vainly  expecting  to  find  happiness  hanging 
on  every  new  object  they  meet,  waiting  for  them  to 
pluck  ;  but,  unfortunately,  it  hangs  so  high  they  can 
never  reach  it — when  they  commence  abusing  every 
thing  with  which  they  come  in  contact.  We  hear 
them  constantly  exclaiming,  "Too  much  sand!  too 
little  to  eat!  too  high  prices  for  things!  "  Nothing 
can  please  them.  Their  faces  are  drawn  up  in  dis- 
gust, and  their  tongues  ready  to  strike  with  the 
venom  of  contempt,  at  every  person  who  has  a  good 
word  to  say  in  favor  of  Florida. 

The  unbroken  quiet  which  has  been  with  us  since 
we  left  Savannah  is  interrupted  as  soon  as  the  steam- 
er touches  the  Jacksonville  wharf.  We  are  impor- 
tuned and  jostled  on  every  side  by  black  boys,  dray 
and  carriage-drivers,  who  worry  us  for  our  baggage, 
raising  their  whips  with  the  imperious  movement  of 
a  major-general,  and  suddenly  lowering  them  at 
half*mast  when  WTC  say,  ISTo!  Then  the  officious 
hotel-runners,  who  scream  in  our  ears  to  patronize 
the  houses  that  employ  them,  until  we  are  on  the 
verge  of  desperation,  and  feel  as  though  the  plagues 
of  Egypt  could  not  have  been  worse.  Most  ot 
these  public  criers  are  dirty,  ragged,  and  laz}7,  hav- 
ing no  legitimate  vocation,  except  what  they  can 
make  from  visitors,  or  in  drumming  for  boarding- 
houses.  This  city  has  fine  accommodations,  and  for 
that  reason  receives  more  envy  than  admiration  from 
other  Florida  towns.  It  can  furnish  more  than  one 
hundred  good  places  of  entertainment,  among 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  37 

which  may  be  found  several  colossal  hotels,  capable 
of  containing  two  or  three  hundred  guests,  also 
boarding-houses  of  less  pretentious  dimensions, 
where,  no  doubt,  a  nearer  approximation  to  the 
acknowledgment  for  value  received  is  oftener  real- 
ized. Selections  can  be  made  where  money  may  be 
expended  rapidly  or  slowly,  according  to  the  incli- 
nation of  the  visitor.  Here,  as  in  other  places,  we 
meet  with  boarding-house  complainers.  This  class 
of  grumblers  must  remember  that  hotel- keepers 
stand  fault-finding  as  quietly  as  a  delinquent  school- 
boy his  deserved  punishment;  they  are  used  to  it; 
they  expect  it,  and  would  be  disappointed  if  they 
did  not  get  it. 

The  influx  of  visitors  commences  sooner  some 
seasons  than  others.  The  first  cold  blast  from  the 
North  sends  the  feeble  invalid  South  to  bask  in  the 
summer  sunshine  of  a  milder  atmosphere,  and  when 
spring  comes  he  returns  home  like  the  migratory 
birds. 

Jacksonville  and  its  adjacent  towns  number  a 
population  of  over  twelve  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
whole  area  being  three  miles  long  and  about  two 
wide.  The  different  names  given  to  this  small 
space  of  country  looks  larger  on  the  map  than  in 
reality.  These  corporations  are  distinguished  from 
each  other  by  the  names  of  Jacksonville,  East  Jack- 
sonville, Brooklyn,  La  Villa,  Riverside,  Springfield, 
Hansom  Town,  etc.  —  each  town  containing,  from 
fifty  to  fifteen  hundred  houses.  The  inhabitants 
say  they  were  laid  out  into  lots  and  named,  with  the 
expectation  of  a  large  increase  of  persons;  conse- 

460007 


38  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

queutly  there  are  desirable  building-spots  in  these 
surveyed  sites  for  growing  cities,  for  sale  at  all  times 
upon  moderate  terms. 

Jacksonville  makes  a  display  of  architectural 
skill,  in  which  are  seen  the  improvements  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Yards  and  lawns  are  laid  out 
fronting  many  of  the  residences,  where  the  beauties 
of  landscape  gardening  may  be  found  blending  in 
harmony  with  the  artistically-arranged  walks  and 
pleasure  promenades.  The  sidewalks  are  made  of 
plank  and  brick,  shaded  and  overhung  with  live- 
oaks,  forming  archways  of  inviting  appearance, 
from  which  swings  pendant  moss,  presenting  a 
perennial,  picturesque  scene  of  nature's  grandeur. 
There  are  over  twenty  church-edifices  in  and  around 
the  city,  where  both  white  and  colored  people  come 
to  worship  in  crowds.  We  are  happy  to  state  these 
statistics  find  the  inhabitants  in  a  much  better  spir- 
itual condition  than  has  been  represented.  How- 
ever, we  have  no  partiality  for  many  of  the  doctrines 
preached  by  itinerant  reformers  who  come  here. 
We  prefer  our  old  orthodox  faith,  which  made  us 
contented  while  we  lived,  and  carried  us  to  heaven 
when  we  died.  But  these  new  isms,  such  as  Spirit- 
ualism, Liberalism,  Free-loveism,  and  every  other 
species  of  modernized  infidelity  that  is  now  gaining 
ground  and  receiving  accessions  from  our  Sunny 
South,  are  designed  only  to  delude  and  drown  the 
souls  of  their  followers  in  eternal  misery.  The 
Churches  here  are  representatives  of  various  creeds 
and  beliefs  —  Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Protestant 
Episcopalian,  and  Roman  Catholic. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clinics.  39 

The  Sabbatli  dawns  in  Florida  with  its  recreations 
and  steam -boat  excursions,  well  patronized  by 
Northern  visitors,  as  very  tew  appear  to  bring  their 
religion  when  they  come  South. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  is  here  to-day  from 
her  home  in  Mandarin,  for  the  purpose  of  attending 
church.  Dr.  Stowe,  her  husband,  accompanies  her 
as  he  preaches.  When  they  both  entered  the  South- 
ern Methodist  church  a  slight  rustle  was  heard  in 
the  congregation,  and  a  few  persons  left  the  house. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Uncle  Tom  were  more  than  a  Sabbath 
dose  for  some  of  the  Jacksonville  community.  Har- 
riet B.  has  no  resemblance  to  a  perpetrator  of  dis- 
cord or  scandal,  or  one  who  has  swayed  the  divining- 
rod  of  Abolitionism  with  sufficient  potency  to  im- 
mortalize herself  for  many  coming  generations,  or 
probed  the  private  life  of  a  man  who,  during  the 
period  of  his  checkered  existence,  never  carved  out 
virtue  for  his  shrine.  The  three  snowy  curls  on 
each  side  of  her  face  give  her  a  matronly  look,  and 
her  stout-built  frame,  well  covered  with  flesh,  a  sub- 
stantial appearance. 

The  service  was  opened  by  a  very  long  prayer 
from  Dr.  Stowe,  after  which  he  preached  a  purely 
orthodox  sermon  on  the  subject  of  godliness.  Mrs. 
Harriet  had  confidence  in  the  ability  of  her  hus- 
band; she  knew  the  discourse  would  be  right  with- 
out her  vigilant  eye,  and  she  went  to  sleep.  Like 
other  sleepers,  she  nodded  naturally;  her  digits 
were  concealed  beneath  kid  covers,  and  thrusting  at 
no  one.  She  looked  the  picture  of  content,  and 
was  no  doubt  dreaming  of  that  far-off,  beautiful 


40  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

country,  where  those  who  create  dissensions  and 
stir  up  strife  can  never  enter. 

Places  of  worship  have  had  an  existence  for  both 
colors  throughout  the  entire  South  since  the  country 
\vas  settled,  the  negroes  being  naturally  inclined  to 
religion  more  than  the  whites.  The  African  Church 
has  always  been  a  full-developed  institution,  attend- 
ed with  its  peculiarities  and  noisy  accompaniments, 
where  the  colored  zealots  could  always  give  vent  to 
their  religious  enthusiasm  by  howling  their  emo- 
tional feelings  among  others  equally  excited.  The 
preacher  usually  leads  the  singing  with  his  loud, 
soul-stirring  strains,  manifesting  much  fervor,  some- 
times improvising  a  strain  or  two  with  his  own  in- 
vention, if  the  rhyme  and  tune  do  not  measure 
equal. 

The  following  is  a  correct  copy  of  an  original 
sermon  delivered  by  a  very  black  Baptist  brother 
to  a  Jacksonville  colored  congregation  a  short  time 
previous  to  the  Freeclmen's  Bank  explosion,  which 
appears  prophetic  in  regard  to  that  swindling  insti- 
tution. The  text  was,  "Lay  up  for  yourselves 
treasure  in  heaven": 

"My  DEAR  BREDREN: — De  Lord  is  here  to-day, 
goin'  from  de  African  to  de  white  folks  church, 
ridin'  on  a  milk-white  steed  in  de  air.  He  knows 
all  yer  hearts,  and  what  you  're  thinkin'  about. 
Ef  yer  hearts  are  not  right,  dey  must  all  undergo  a 
radical  change  until  dey  are  made  good.  De  Lord 
taught  his  disciples  on  de  lake  of  Genesis,  and 
I'm  now  telling  you  all  de  way  do  do.  I  'spec  you 
all  cum  to  de  house  of  de  Lord  just  kase  yer  friends 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  41 

are  here.  While  yer  preacher  is  try  in'  to  permul- 
gate  de  gospel,  you  is  lookin'  down  de  street  to 
see  what  is  comin',  and  den  you  're  thinkin'  about 
what  you  will  wear  to-night  when  you  come  to 
preachin',  payin'  no  attention  to  me,  who  is  tryin' 
to  save  yer  souls. 

"  0  my  bredren,  clis  is  a  fine  new  meetin'-house, 
but  we  should  all  seek  a  house  whose  builder  and 
maker  is  de  great  Lord !  Labor  not  for  de  perishin', 
spilin'  meat! 

"Last  night  was  Saturday,  and  you  have  spent  most 
of  yer  week's  wages  and  earnin's,  dun  put  de  rest  in 
de  Freedmen  Savin'  Bank,  and  you  do  n't  know  as 
you'll  ever  see  it  any  more  in  dis  world!  Some- 
body may  git  it,  or  you  may  die,  and  den  you  will 
leave  it.  How  much  did  you  bring  here  for  de 
Lord?  O  my  bredren,  when  dem  jerudic  angels 
come  you  will  be  sorry  you  have  n't  done  more  for 
de  Lord!  When  dey  come,  ef  you  has  n't  dun  noth- 
in'  for  yer  blessed  Jesus,  den  dey  will  not  say, 
'Come,  ye  blessed,  home!' 

"You  must  do  nothin'  wrong  ef  yer  want  ter  git 
up  by  dat  great  white  throne  among  dem  snow- 
white  angels,  and  be  one  yerselves.  You  must 
never  cuss  or  drink  any  whisky.  Paul  told  Timo- 
thy his  son  to  drink  some  wine  when  he  had  de 
stumak-ake.  My  bredren,  do  n't  think  yer  sufferin' 
when  yer  not,  jest  for  an  excuse  to  git  a  dram.  Old 
Master  in  heaven  knows  when  yer  sure  enuff  sick! 
Can't  fool  him  about  nothin' !  " 

Journalism  in  Jacksonville  is  commencing  to  rest 
on  a  firmer  basis  than  heretofore.  The  present  pop- 
3 


42  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ulation  demand  more  knowledge  on  the  subject  of 
the  country,  consequently  papers  and  periodicals 
published  in  the  interest  of  the  State  are  much 
sought  after.  The  Semi-tropical,  a  monthly  estab- 
lished here,  will  be  found  to  contain  both  readable 
and  reliable  articles  on  the  climate  and  various  prod- 
ucts of  Florida.  The  Sun  and  Press  is  a  daily  dem- 
ocratic paper,  unswerving  in  its  efforts  to  inculcate 
correct  principles  among  those  in  power.  There 
were  other  organs  whose  politics  was  gauged  for  the 
season,  and  since  the  war  until  now  have  been  on 
the  winning  side,  the  Republicans  being  in  the  ma- 
jority. The  ephemeral  existence  of  newspapers  has 
passed  away  here,  and  the  morning  news,  fresh  and 
well  printed,  containing  the  latest  telegrams,  are 
found  lying  on  the  breakfast-table,  furnishing  a  po- 
tent auxiliary  to  the  peace  and  happiness  of  the 
household. 

The  privilege  of  doing  as  one  pleases  is  not  to 
be  overlooked  in  Jacksonville.  No  costumes,  how- 
ever peculiar,  appear  out  of  style,  or  the  wearers, 
as  in  some  other  places,  obliged  to  seek  protection 
from  the  police.  Celebrities  or  millionaires  walk 
the  streets  without  creating  any  sensation.  The 
Mormon,  with  his  four  or  fourteen  wives,  can  come 
from  Salt  Lake  City,  take  rooms  at  the  St.  James, 
enter  all  the  frequented  resorts  with  the  same  fear 
from  molestation  that  a  genuine  Floridian  feels  of 
being  Ku-Kluxed.  Any  strong-minded  market- 
woman  can  don  the  Bloomer  costume,  make  and 
sell  sugar,  brown  as  her  own  bun-colored  face,  and 
peddle  vegetables  verdant  as  the  idea  which  prompt- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  43 

ed  her  to  forsake  the  flowing  robes  of  her  fair  sis- 
ters, and  assume  the  half  masculine  attire  of  the 
sterner  sex,  without  attracting  any  more  attention 
than  the  lazy  loungers  in  the  market-house.  The 
citizens  are  so  accustomed  to  sight-seeing  that  noth- 
ing would  astonish  them  but  an  honest  politician. 

Unfortunately  for  all  parties  concerned,  this  win- 
ter there  is  a  large  influx  of  men  in  search  of  em- 
ployment, fifty  looking  for  situations  with  only  one 
vacancy.  It  is  well  to  come  prepared  for  all  exi- 
gencies, and  bring  a  tent  to  stop  in,  provided  noth- 
ing better  presents  itself.  The  woods,  waters,  and 
oyster-bars  are  free  to  all;  but  boarding-house  keep- 
ers, from  the  pressure  of  surrounding  circumstances, 
have  a  peculiarly  persistent  way  of  watching  strang- 
ers closely  and  interviewing  them  frequently,  par- 
ticularly if  there  is  a  suspicion  that  funds  are  run- 
ning low  with  them.  Camping  in  the  open  air  in 
this  genial  clime  is  pleasanter  than  would  be  imag- 
ined by  persons  not  accustomed  to  it,  and  is  accom- 
panied with  more  peace  of  mind  than  being  dunned 
for  board-bills  without  money  to  pay  them. 

Pleasant  places  of  resort  are  springing  up  in  the 
vicinity  of  Jacksonville,  which  furnish  lovely  drives 
behind  some  of  the  teams  kept  in  the  city.  Mon- 
crief  Springs,  four  miles  distant,  now  appears  to  be 
the  most  popular  resort.  Here  the  orange  marma- 
lade factory  may  be  visited — a  recently-developed 
branch  of  industry  —  making  use  of  the  wild 
oranges  which  flourish  so  abundantly  throughout 
the  State  without  culture.  Many  other  improve- 
ments have  been  made  at  this  place — bath-houses, 


44  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

bowling-alley,  dancing-saloon,  and  restaurant — all 
of  which  contribute  much  to  the  diversion  of 
strangers. 

Visitors  always  form  an  idea  of  the  cultivation  or 
ignorance  of  a  locality  by  the  manner  in  which  the 
dead  are  cared  for,  together  with  the  various  styles 
of  monuments,  inscriptions  upon  the  tablets,  neat- 
ness and  taste  displayed  in  the  surroundings.  Upon 
this  hypothesis  a  favorable  conclusion  would  be 
formed  in  regard  to  the  Jacksonville  cemetery, 
which  last  resting-place  of  its  citizens  is  pleasantly 
located  on  a  slightly  elevated  piece  of  ground  be- 
yond the  city.  It  was  on  the  Sabbath  we  visited  it, 
when  all  kinds  of  people  were  present.  Some  of 
them  were  much  stricken  with  grief,  while  others 
came  for  recreation.  It  is  really  very  surprising 
why  so  many  persons  of  exceedingly  low  morals  re- 
sort to  grave-yards  for  the  sole  purpose  of  enjoy- 
ment, and  the  indulgence  of  obscene  conduct  and 
conversation.  Certainly  rude  sounds  must  jar  very 
inharmoniously  upon  the  feelings  of  those  who  come 
to  visit  and  weep  over  the  remains  of  their  departed 
friends. 

Too  many  invalids,  before  coming  to  Florida,  wait 
until  the}7  have  already  felt  the  downy  flappings 
from  the  wings  of  the  unrelenting  destroyer,  and 
heard  the  voices  from  a  spirit-land  calling  them,  but 
come  too  late  to  be  benefited  and  take  a  new  lease 
on  life.  The  climate  should  not  be  blamed  because 
the  sick  will  stay  away  until  death  claims  them. 
Those  who  do  not  wait  derive  the  same  benefit  in 
remaining  that  flowers  receive  from  gentle  rains  in 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


45 


spring-time — the  atmosphere  being  a  tranquillizer, 
the  pure  sea-breeze  on  the  coast  a  lotion  and  tonic 
to  the  lungs.  God  grant  that  the  genial  air  which 
visits  this  peninsula  may  restore  the  health-seeking 
invalids  to  vigor,  strength,  and  usefulness,  that  their 
presence  may  again  gladden  the  hearts  of  those  left 
at  home,  now  saddened  by  their  absence ! 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  III. 

VERY  year,  during  the  month  of  February, 
Jacksonville  has  an  exhibit  of  industries, 
from  all  portions  of  the  State,  thus  fur- 
nishing visitors  an  opportunity  for  seeing 
specimens  of  the  best  Florida  products  for 
themselves,  before  purchasing.  Another  advantage 
is  the  exchange  of  experience  in  growing  the  same 
things,  besides  receiving  new  suggestions  in  regard 
to  those  which  may  have  failed,  and,  finally,  it  keeps 
up  a  friendly  intercourse  with  old  acquaintances,  also 
enabling  new  immigrants  to  form  pleasant  associa- 
tions, in  the  absence  of  those  whom  they  have  left 
behind  —  thus  promoting  harmony,  not  only  in  a 
community,  but  throughout  the  entire  State. 

The  weather — that  important  auxiliary — this  year 
was  unpropitious  a  greater  portion  of  the  week. 
Nature  put  on  a  wild,  damp  face,  which  chilled  the 
ardor  of  many  who  had  intended  coming.  How- 
ever, the  exhibit  was  very  good,  in  every  depart- 
ment. All  kinds  of  semi-tropical  fruits,  from  the 
most  perfect  pine-apple  that  has  flourished  in  any 
clime,  to  the  sweetest  orange,  whose  cheek  had  been 
kissed  by  a  golden  sunbeam.  Pure  wines  were  not 
wanting  to  complete  the  conviviality  of  the  occa- 
sion, or  perfumes  distilled  from  Florida  leaves  and 
flowers,  to  waft  odors  around  us.  sweet  as  the  mem- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  47 

ory  of  a  first  love.    The  industrious  ladies  sent  their 
needle- work,  some  of  which  looked  as  if  wrought 

7  O 

by  fairy  fingers,  more  than  real  flesh  and  blood. 

Each  succeeding  year  this  organization  gathers 
strength  as  the  State  becomes  more  populous,  and 
the  necessity  of  comparing  the  products  from  differ- 
ent latitudes  is  made  a  criterion  for  those  who  wish 
to  examine  the  local  products  of  a  country.  In  ad- 
dition to  what  has  already  been  done,  there  is  much 
room  for  improvement,  which  will  be  accomplished 
as  the  necessities  demand,  until  the  Agricultural 
Florida  Fair  shall  be  numbered  among  the  perma- 
nent institutions,  where  the  ingathering  harvest  of 
tropical  fruits  every  year  will  be  a  fixed  fact,  where 
immense  crowds  shall  come  to  look,  wondering  at 
its  magnitude,  and  silent  with  admiration  before  the 
grandeur  of  its  extensive  proportions.  The  future 
of  the  Fair,  like  that  of  the  State,  has  not  been  at- 
tained. 

Another  source  of  entertainment  with  many  who 
come  here  is  yachting.  The  white -winged  little 
crafts  are  constantly  flitting  about  the  Jacksonville 
wharves,  like  summer  songsters  in  a  clear  sky.  The 
boats,  in  reality,  have  become  quite  indispensable  to 
the  excitement  of  visitors.  Those  that  draw  the 
least  water,  and  make  the  best  time,  or  with  a  fair 
wind  can  sail  on  a  heavy  dew,  are  the  class  of  craft 
most  in  demand.  General  Spinner,  former^  of  the 
United  States  Treasury,  has  a  fine  little  yacht,  in 
which  he  takes  pleasure-excursions,  looking  much 
happier  than  when  the  responsibility  of  a  nation's 
finances  rested  on  his  movements. 


48  Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunn)/  Climes. 

Our  stay  in  Jacksonville  has  been  very  pleasant; 
but  its  surroundings  furnish  a  poor  criterion  for  the 
fertile  lands  lying  in  other  parts  of  the  State. 

The  ocean  steamer  Dictator  is  waiting  at  the 
wharf  for  passengers,  and  we  will  be  among  the 
happy  number  to  embark  on  this  reliable-running 
craft.  Her  former  efficient  commander,  Captain 
Coxetter,  has  gone  where  bars  or  rough  waters 
never  imperil  his  safet}-.  However,  his  place  has 
been  supplied  by  a  skillful  seaman,  thus  placing  the 
Dictator  at  the  head  of  the  list  for  palatial  accom- 
modations and  attentive  officers. 

The  St.  John's  to-day  appears  overspread  with  a 
kind  of  semi-transparent  mist,  through  which  the 
sun  shines  with  a  nimbus  of  golden  sheen,  that  fills 
the  air  and  sky.  Imagination  could  not  paint  the 
River  of  Life  more  beautiful.  How  smoothly  we 
glide  on  its  peaceful  bosom,  while  fleecy  clouds  of 
unrivaled  purity  float  over  us  like  airy  forms,  which 
leave  an  indefinable  idea  of  an  invisible  presence 
hovering  near. 

The  first  noticeable  landing,  after  we  leave  Jack- 
sonville, is  Mandarin,  fifteen  miles  distant  —  the 
winter  residence  of  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  —  at 
which  point  many  stop,  as  though  she  was  expected 
to  furnish  a  gratuitous  exhibition  of  herself,  de- 
signed for  the  benefit  of  those  who  walk  her  do- 
mains. Visitors  come  here  thinking  they  are  at  the 
same  liberty  to  inspect  her  person  as  though  she  were 
connected  with  a  menagerie,  and  obligated  to  pre- 
sent herself  for  their  entertainment.  Very  curious 
ones  open  her  window-blinds  if  they  cannot  see  her 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  49 

in  any  other  way.  These  impudent  violations  of 
etiquette  do  not  meet  with  her  approval,  while  those 
indulging  in  them  must  take  the  consequences,  re- 
membering that  although  patience  is  a  virtue,  it  is 
not  always  exercised. 

Mandarin  is  quite  unpretentious  in  its  general 
appearance.  The  inhabitants  raise  fine  sweet  or- 
anges and  other  produce,  which  they  bring  down  in 
little  boats  to  market;  this  is  the  most  perceptible 
stir  made  by  any  of  its  residents.  Like  many  other 
localities  in  the  State,  historic  records  of  tragic 
events,  extending  back  to  the  Indian  wars,  are  yet 
remembered  by  some  of  its  old  citizens.  The  fol- 
lowing is  dated  December  25,  1841: 

"For  some  time  the  settlers  in  this  section  of  the 
country  had  been  lulled  into  apparent  security,  un- 
der the  belief  that  there  was  no  danger  to  be  appre- 
hended, since  the  notorious  Wild  Cat  and  his  party 
were  shipped  to  the  West. 

"On  Monday  a  band  of  twenty -one  Indians  ap- 
proached the  settlement  of  Mandarin,  when,  after 
capturing  an  old  negro  belonging  to  Mr.  William 
Hartley,  lay  by  until  night,  when  they  attacked  the 
house  of  Mr.  H.,  who  was  absent  hunting.  They 
murdered  his  wife  and  child,  also  Messrs.  Domingo 
Acosta  and  William  Molpus.  These  savages,  after 
committing  this  foul  deed,  plundered  th£  house  and 
applied  the  torch.  They  then  proceeded  to  the 
plantations  of  Nathan  and  George  Hartley,  and  as 
the  inmates  had  fled,' they  destroyed  their  homes. 
The  Indians  camped  near  until  morning,  when  they 
released  the  old  negro,  and  fled.  Captain  Hurry,  of 
3* 


50  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Mandarin,  and  a  few  other  citizens,  followed  their 
trail  the  next  day  for  some  distance,  but  finally  lost 
it," 

The  settlers  then  gave  expression  to  their  feelings  : 
"  We,  the  citizens  of  Mandarin,  cannot  too  strong- 
ly urge  upon  Col.  Worth  the  propriety  of  keeping  in 
this  vicinity  a  force  sufficiently  strong  to  render  to 
our  citizens  that  protection  to  which  they  are  justly 
entitled.  Many  of  them  had  returned  to  their  aban- 
doned places,  others  making  preparations  for  that 
purpose ;  but  their  plans  are  now  frustrated,  as  there 
can  be  no  possible  security  until  the  last  Indian  is 
hunted  out  of  Florida;  while  our  troops  are  operat- 
ing in  the  South,  they  are  murdering  in  our  unpro- 
tected settlements.  This  is  the  seventh  Christmas- 
day  we  have  witnessed  since  the  Indian  war  has 
been  raging  in  our  territory,  it  being  now  our  pain- 
ful duty  to  record  it  is  far  from  being  ended.  The 
blood  of  our  citizens  is  still  warm  upon  the  hillocks 
and  turfs  of  Florida,  and  the  wily  savage  roams  un- 
dismayed, with  his  thirst  for  the  blood  of  fresh  vic- 
tims unquenched." 

One  noticeable  feature  in  traveling  through  Florida 
is  the  fanciful  names  we  hear  given  to  unimportant 
places — the  name  being  the  most  prominent  point, 
the  towns  so  diminutive  that  it  is  difficult  to  locate 
them  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  The  first  high- 
sounding  ones,  after  Mandarin,  are  Hibernia  and 
Magnolia,  both  little  stopping-places,  considered 
quite  exclusive  in  their  associations  with  the  world 
in  general  and  themselves  in  particular,  where  guests 
are  so  well  contented  they  think  the  fabled  land  for 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  51 

which  the  Spaniards  searched  so  long  is  at  last 
reached. 

Green  Cove  Mineral  Springs,  thirty  miles  above 
Jacksonville,  is  a  noted  resort  for  those  afflicted  with 
rheumatism — the  temperature  of  the  water  always 
being  warm  enough  in  winter  to  stimulate  the  sys- 
tem and  give  relief  to  pain.  Many  other  diseases 
are  also  greatly  mitigated.  Very  happy  faces  come 
dowrn  here  to  look  at  us,  which  is,  no  doubt,  attrib- 
utable to  the  exhilarating  influences  of  the  water 
and  fine  fare  at  the  hotels. 

Picolata,  forty-five  miles  above  Jacksonville,  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  river,  is  more  famous  for  what 
it  has  been  than  for  what  it  is  now,  its  former  great- 
ness having  departed,  leaving  scarcely  a  shadow  to 
guide  us.  This  was  formerly  the  stage  terminus 
from  St.  Augustine,  eighteen  miles  distant,  and  of 
some  importance  as  a  commercial  point,  with  a 
weekly  stage  running  to  Tallahassee  and  St.  Mark's. 
During  Spanish  times  this  place  was  called  Fort 
Picolata,  where  once  stood  a  very  ancient  fortress. 
The  following  is  a  description  of  its  dimensions, 
written  over  one  hundred  years  since:  "It  was  con- 
structed with  a  high  wall,  without  bastions,  about 
breast-high  on  the  inside,  with  loop-holes,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  deep  ditch.  The  upper  story  was  open 
on  each  side,  with  battlements  supporting  a  cupola, 
or  roof.  These  parapets  were  formerly  mounted 
with  eight  four-pounders — two  on  each  side.  The 
works  were  built  with  hewyn  stone,  cemented  in 
lime.  The  shell-rock  from  which  it  was  constructed 
was  cut  out  of  quarries  on  St.  Anastasia  Island,  op- 


52  Petals  Plucked  from  Su.iwy  Climes. 

positc  St.  Augustine."  The  object  of  this  fort  was 
to  guard  the  passage  of  the  river,  and  preserve  com- 
munication with  St.  Mark's  and  Pensacola. 

As  we  propose  describing  Tocoi  on  our  return, 
we  will  now  proceed  to  Pilatka,  the  county-seat  of 
Putnam,  with  a  population  of  fifteen  hundred  inhab- 
itants. The  land  on  which  the  town  stands  is  high, 
the  soil  being  mixed  with  shells.  The  accommoda- 
tions here  for  visitors  are  fine,  where  many  come  to 
stay  all  winter,  in  preference  to  any  other  place. 
The  Putnam  House  is  well  kept,  being  refreshingly 
neat,  and  the  whole  premises  in  perfect  order.  It  is 
now  February,  and  the  garden  is  producing  peas, 
lettuce,  radishes,  Irish  potatoes,  and  many  other 
vegetables,  from  which  the  house  is  supplied.  The 
tables  groan  with  good  things,  while  the  proprietor 
tries  to  make  everybody  welcome.  The  politeness 
of  the  servants  reminds  us  of  the  palmy  days  of  the 
past,  when  they  were  trained  for  use,  and  not  per- 
mitted to  roam,  as  many  do  now,  like  untamed 
beasts,  seeking  something  which  they  can  kill  and 
eat,  or  steal,  and  trade  for  money.  The  citizens  are 
very  industrious  and  law-abiding — the  town  having 
been  settled  thirty  years — and  never  had  a  county 
jail  until  recently;  but,  in  keeping  with  the  im- 
provements of  the  age,  they  have  one  now  which  is 
equal  to  any  emergency.  Among  the  various  other 
buildings,  we  notice  a  court-house,  several  churches, 
and  many  boarding-houses.  The  principal  indus- 
tries are  a  moss -factory,  sea -island  cotton-gin,  a 
steam  grist-mill  and  saw-mill,  also  a  guano  fish-oil 
factory.  Shad-fishing  is  profitable  here  in  March, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  53 

when  large  quantities  are  shipped.  One  paper — the 
Pilatka  Herald — publishes  all  the  news.  The  editor 
is  called  "Alligator"  Pratt — he  having  obtained  his 
title  by  giving  descriptions  of  the  immense  num- 
bers of  alligators  which  frequented  the  streams,  as 
recorded  by  the  early  settlers,  but  bringing  it  down 
to  the  present  time,  as  a  visible  fact,  which  is  not 
true,  nor  ever  will  be  again,  while  so  many  are  being 
killed  every  year.  When  we  visited  the  Herald 
office,  two  lads,  sons  of  the  proprietor,  were  working 
like  busy  bees,  the  youngest  being  thirteen,  and  the 
oldest  seventeen,  years  of  age.  They  said  their  fa- 
ther was  in  Tallahassee,  and  they  were  "getting  out 
the  paper."  Such  enterprise  is  commendable. 

Many  of  the  tropical  fruits  are  cultivated  here, 
some  of  which  grow  to  perfection,  while  others  are 
experimental,  but  at  present  very  flourishing.  Ripe 
strawberries,  luscious  and  sweet,  are  now  ready  for 
market,  on  Col.  Hart's  place  —  the  fertilizer  used 
being  river- muck,  which  is  inexhaustible.  The 
weather  is  milder  here  than  in  other  localities  of  the 
same  latitude,  not  on  the  river,  which  is  accounted 
for  by  the  waters  of  the  St.  John's  flowing  from  a 
milder  clime,  thus  checking  any  proposed  invasion 
from  Jack  Frost. 

A  very  amusing  circumstance  happened  here  this 
morning.  The  Catholic  bishop  from  St.  Augustine 
being  in  town,  according  to  his  usual  custom,  pro- 
posed to  have  early  morning  mass.  On  repairing  to 
the  church,  and  finding  none  of  his  members  in  at- 
tendance, and  not  being  inclined  to  say  mass  for  the 
repose  of  their  souls  and  bodies  while  in  bed,  as  a 


54  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

gentle  reminder  of  their  duties  he  commenced  pull- 
ing vigorously  at  the  bell-rope.  The  jingling  at  so 
early  an  hour  caused  a  consternation  among  the  in- 
habitants, who  supposed  it  to  be  a  fire-alarm,  and, 
thinking  the  safety  of  their  dwellings  in  danger, 
rushed  from  every  street  in  hasty-made  toilets,  look- 
ing for  the  conflagration.  However,  on  quiet  being 
restored,  the  affair  was  considered  a  good  joke. 

Pilatka  is  the  head  of  navigation  for  ocean  steam- 
ers, the  river  narrowing  so  rapidly  soon  after  leaving 
here  that  they  cannot  run  any  farther.  Parties  go- 
ing up  the  Ocklawaha  must  always  stop  at  this  point, 
as  steamers  made  for  no  other  purpose  leave  here 
daily.  No  Florida  tour  would  be  complete  without 
a  trip  up  this  narrow,  tortuous  stream,  which  turns 
its  course  so  often  the  wonder  is  that  it  does  not  for- 
get which  way  it  was  going  to  run. 

The  name  of  our  boat  is  Okahumkee,  which  bears 
a  slight  resemblance  to  the  pictures  designed  to  rep- 
resent Noah's  ark,  but  only  in  shape,  not  in  size  or 
age.  On  account  of  the  obstacles  she  has  to  meet 
in  navigation,  there  can  be  no  surplus  work  or  em- 
bellishment on  her;  but  she  is  clean  and  comforta- 
ble, the  fare  good  as  on  any  river -craft.  The  pro- 
pelling power  is  at  the  stern,  and  sends  the  steamer 
ahead  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour.  The 
owner,  Col.  Hart,  is  a  man  of  undaunted  energies, 
whose  pioneer  movements  in  navigating  this  river 
will  ever  remain  a  monument  worthy  of  emulation. 

Twenty-five  miles  above  Pilatka  the  Ocklawaha 
comes  in,  which  name  signifies  boggy  river,  or  tur- 
gid water,  so  called  by  the  Indians. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  55 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WHILE  in  Florida,  if  tourists  wish  for  a  va- 
riety, let  them  travel  up  the  meandering 

(£)'155J'@  • 

•*&&*      course  of  that  peculiar  stream,  the  Ock- 

^  lawaha.  There  is  no  signaling  here,  as  at 
other  rivers  in  the  State,  for  fossilized  Spaniards  to 
take  us  over  the  bars.  After  describing  a  triangle, 
we  enter  its  dark  waters  without  obstacle  or  inter- 
ruption, when  our  steamer  glides  along  easily,  if  not 
quickly,  as  a  Florida  sun  behind  the  horizon. 

The  Ocklawaha  is  the  largest  tributary  of  the 
much-admired  St.  John's  River.  It  is  only  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  in  width  at  any  point,  and 
navigable  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Its  banks  are 
lined  with  "forests  primeval,"  while  its  crooked 
course  can  only  be  traced  by  a  seat  upon  the  decks 
of  its  steamers.  The  banks  are  low,  with  an  occa- 
sional bluff,  accompanied  by  a  wildness  of  scenery 
not  so  unvaried  as  to  become  monotonous.  The 
river  runs  through  heavily-timbered  lands,  consist- 
ing of  sweet-gum,  sweet-bay,  and  live-oak,  from 
which  hangs  'a  drapery  of  long  moss  so  dense  it  is 
only  visited  by  zephyr  breezes.  The  swaying  of 
fliis  pendant  growth  appears  like  the  movements  of 
magic,  preparing  a  revelation  from  the  secret  abodes 
of  wood-nymphs,  or  a  debut  from  the  weird  form  of 
some  dark-eyed  Indian  maid. 


56  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  cypress-trees  grow  here  to  the  height  of  two 
hundred 'feet,  some  of  them  being  twenty-four  in 
circumference,  and  eight  feet  through  at  the  base. 
From  this  kind  of  timber  spars  for  vessels  are  made, 
which  excel  in  durability  any  other  in  use. 

The  trees  on  the  banks  are  set  closely  as  a  cane 
thicket,  thus  obscuring  all  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country  as  effectually  as  if  it  were  a  thousand 
miles  distant.  It  is  to  this  point  the  sportsman 
resorts  to  indulge  his  propensity  for  killing  birds, 
which  sing  songs  of  joy  as  we  pass;  but  when 
wounded,  their  helpless  bodies  fall  into  the  turbid 
waters — the  last  that  is  seen  of  them  being  a  flutter- 
ing pinion,  signaling  their  sinking  condition,  with 
no  one  to  pity  or  rescue.  The  click  of  the  rifle  is 
heard  on  every  side  from  the  hands  of  passengers, 
with  the  exciting  remark:  "O  there  is  another  alli- 
gator! Sight  him  quick!  Kill  him!"  Although 
this  seems  to  be  great  sport  for  the  huntsman,  it  is 
not  always  death  to  the  game. 

As  we  approach  the  source  of  the  river  the  scen- 
ery is  constantly  changing,  like  a  kaleidoscopic  view, 
and  although  it  is  mid-winter  the  river-banks  are 
lined  with  flowers  in  full  bloom,  as  though  Jack 
Frost  was  not  abroad  with  his  withering  breath,  and 
had  killed  many  of  their  companions  far  away,  and 
buried  them  under  his  white  covering,  bound  with 
icy  fetters. 

Among  the  most  conspicuous  plants  which  we  see 
now  is  the  aster,  climbing  twenty  or  thirty  feet, 
forming  bowers  filled  with  blooms,  supported  by 
woody  stems,  sending  forth  their  fragrance  to  glad- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  57 

den  the  senses  of  those  who  love  perfumery  made 
in  nature's  laboratory. 

The  water-lily,  enthroned  on  her  emerald  seat, 
sits  like  a  queen,  spreading  a  snowy  crown  in  every 
quiet  corner  of  the  stream ;  while  the  air-plants,  with 
a  more  ambitious  turn,  are  clinging  to  the  trees, 
with  their  pink  petals  bursting  into  bloom,  as  the 
wild  oranges  and  scarlet  berries  combined  form  a 
panorama  which  creates  new-born  emotions  of  hap- 
piness in  the  minds  of  all  who  look  on  their  beau- 
ties and  retain  in  imagination  their  charms. 

Captain  Rice,  who  has  charge  of  the  steamer 
Okahumkee,  is  the  alpha  and  omega  of  the  inhab- 
itants on  this  river.  He  supplies  all  their  wants, 
makes  all  their  contracts,  and  sells  all  their  produce. 
The  men  expect  him  to  furnish  them  with  whatever 
they  need,  from  a  sugar-mill  to  a  plug  of  tobacco. 
From  this  portion  of  the  country  are  shipped  sea- 
island  cotton,  moss,  oranges,  vanilla,  chickens,  and 
eggs.  These  are  sold  in  Jacksonville  to  obtain  their 
family  supplies.  The  Captain  goes  shopping  for  the 
young  ladies,  buys  their  pin-backs,  tilters,  face-pow- 
der, and  sometimes  snuff — for  their  mothers  only! 
For  these  numerous  services  he  rarely  ever  receives 
any  thing  but  a  smile!  No  wonder  the  man  looks 
thin,  fed  on  such  intangible  substance! 

Orange  Springs,  thirty-five  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  is  our  first  landing-place.  This  was 
formerly  a  resort  for  invalids,  on  account  of  the  min- 
eral properties  contained  in  the  water.  Here  we 
witnessed  an  affectionate  meeting  between  a  hus- 
band and  wife.  The  lady  had  just  returned  from 


58  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Jacksonville  on  the  steamer.  When  she  stepped  on 
shore,  and  saw  her  husband  waiting  for  her,  she 
threw  her  arms  around  his  neck  and  cried.  Some 
of  the  experienced  passengers  said  she  wept  because 
she  thought  of  all  that  old  fat  bacon  she  would  have 
to  eat  after  feasting  so  high  in  Jacksonville. 

A  log  is  something  which  our  boat  appears  to  un- 
derstand. It  leaps  over  at  a  single  bound,  then  goes 
crashing  against  the  large  limbs,  which  sounds  like 
the  rattling  of  musketry,  or  crashing  of  a  cyclone. 

We  met  a  lady  on  board  who,  since  her  last  visit 
up  the  Ocklawaha,  has  been  deprived  of  her  hearing. 
Hot  aware  of  the  great  change  through  which  she 
had  passed,  she  quietly  inquired  if  the  obstructions 
had  not  all  been  removed  from  the  river.  The  sound, 
then,  of  big  limbs  rasping  across  the  boat,  which  had 
been  crushed  by  coming  in  contact  with  it,  resem- 
bled thunder.  The  Captain  changed  his  seat  very 
suddenly  to  go  forward,  while  the  passengers  were 
all  busy  looking  after  birds  and  alligators;  but  no 
one  asserted  that  navigation  was  without  impedi- 
ments, so  far  as  last  heard  from.  "  Where  ignorance 
is  bliss,  'tis  folly  to  be  wise." 

On  this  river  is  the  home  of  the  genuine  crackers. 
You  can  see  them  come  to  the  steamer  when  it 
lands;  and  clever  people  they  are,  too.  They  ap- 
pear to  come  from  nowhere,  their  first  appearance 
being  on  a  bateau,  or  little  platform,  by  the  river- 
banks,  where  are  seen  standing  specimens  of  hu- 
manity so  thin  a  musquito  would  be  doing  a  bad 
business  in  trying  to  obtain  sustenance  from  their 
bloodless  bodies. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


59 


Hoping  that  the  mind  of  the  public  may  be  re- 
lieved of  the  impression  that  a  kind  of  hybrid  bipeds 
circulate  through  the  South  entirely  unknown  in 
other  localities,  called  crackers,  I  herewith  append 


PLEASURE-RIDING   IN    A   CRACKER    CART. 

a  description  of  the  Northern  crackers,  in  connec- 
tion with  our  Southern  product,  taken  from  my  own 
observation. 

From  the  Alleghany  Mountains  of  Pennsylvania 


60  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

to  the  sands  of  Florida  there  exists  a  certain  class 
of  the  genus  homo,  defined  by  different  names,  but 
possessing  traits  of  character  nearly  allied,  called  in 
the  North  "the  lower  class,"  in  the  South  "  crack- 
ers." In  the  Northern  States  these  poor,  uneducated 
creatures  ruminate  without  restraint.  The  localities 
they  prefer  are  removed  from  the  principal  towns 
and  cities.  During  the  summer  they  spend  a  por- 
tion of  the  season  in  raising  a  little  corn  and  pota- 
toes, together  with  other  "garden  sass,"  which  is 
consumed  by  their  numerous  families  to  sustain 
them  during  the  cold  winter  weather.  The  little 
attention  this  crop  receives  is  when  they  are  not 
working  out  as  the  hired  help,  in  assisting  their 
neighbors  through  "  hayin'  and  harvesting  or  diggin' 
taters."  Many  of  them  never  "hire  out,"  but  sub- 
sist entirely  by  hunting,  fishing,  or  gathering  ber- 
ries, for  which  pursuits  their  wild  natures  and  un- 
settled habits  well  adapt  them.  They  excel  in  the 
piscatorial  profession,  studying  the  habits  of  the 
finny  tribe  during  their  various  stages,  together 
with  their  times  of  ascending  and  descending  the 
streams.  Sometimes  the  city  folks  come  out  to 
spend  a  few  days  with  tent  and  reels,  which  move- 
ment these  self-constituted  sovereigns  of  the  soil 
regard  as  a  direct  innovation  of  their  rights;  and  if 
the  supposed  intruders  escape  without  their  tent 
being  burned,  or  their  clothes  stolen,  during  the  day 
when  they  are  absent,  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  fort- 
unate circumstance.  Many  of  these  "lower  class" 
specimens  of  humanity  cannot  read  or  write,  while 
those  who  can  do  not  often  imbibe  orthodox  opin- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  61 

ions  in  their  religions  belief,  but  embrace  theories 
mapped  out  by  New  England  fanatics,  upon  which 
they  try  to  make  an  improvement  during  the  cold 
winter  days  when  they  cannot  be  "stirrin'  out 
doors."  If-amaw  comes  they  hunt  deer  and  other 
wild  game,  which  is  bartered  for  groceries.  Hogs 
with  them,  as  most  other  people,  are  an  important 
item  for  winter  food.  These  animals  manage  to 
live  tolerably  well  during  the  summer  on  grass,  be- 
sides occasionally  breaking  into  a  neighbor's  field 
of  corn  or  potatoes,  and  fattening  in  the  autumn  on 
wild  mast,  which  is  plentiful. 

This  "lower  class"  have  never  been  credited  with 
being  strictly  honest,  and  frequently  a  stray  sheep, 
calf,  or  turkey,  makes  an  important  addition  to  the 
family  larder,  which  is  eaten  by  all  without  any 
scruples,  no  questions  be.ing  asked.  Generosity 
cannot  be  classed  among  their  virtues.  If  a  benev- 
olent impulse  ever  forces  its  way  into  their  stingy 
souls,  it  is  soon  frozen  out  for  want  of  sustenance. 
Never  a  weary  wanderer  rests  upon  their  beds,  or 
is  fed  from  their  table,  unless  pay  is  expected  for  it, 
nor  a  drop  of  milk  given  to  pleasure-excursionists 
without  collection  on  delivery.  Their  clothes  are 
made  mostly  of  wool,  it  being  a  home  product,  and 
the  winters  so  severe  they  are  obliged  to  be  pro- 
tected. The  "wimmen  folks"  weave  the  cloth, 
then  color  it  blue  or  red,  and  when  the  garments 
are  made  they  are  worn  through  all  seasons — in 
winter  to  keep  out  the  cold,  and  in  summer  the 
heat.  There  is  no  changing  of  raiment,  nor  any 
record  kept  of  the  time  each  garment  is  worn,  it 


62  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

being  only  removed  when  patching  becomes  neces- 
sary, and  a  Joseph's  coat  among  them  is  not  an  un- 
common sight.  They  are  not  remarkable  for  their 
powers  of  articulation,  but  communicate  with  a  pe- 
culiar twang  through  their  noses,  as  though  that 
wras  the  design  of  the  organ.  Cow  is  pronounced  as 
though  it  was  spelled  "  keow;"  how,  "  heow."  "Aw- 
ful" is  their  principal  adjective,  upon  which  they 
ring  changes  at  all  times :  "Awful  mean  !  "  "Awful 
good!"  Conversation  through  the  nose  for  the  old 
women  is  a  difficult  experiment,  as  they  deposit 
large  quantities  of  snuff  in  that  organ,  whether  for 
disease,  or  to  fill  a  vacuum  in  their  crania,  has  never 
been  determined,  but  it  is  really  a  most  disgusting 
and  filthy  practice  to  witness. 

The  above  is  a  correct  description  of  the  North- 
ern crackers,  of  which  some  scribblers  seem  to 
have  lost  sio;ht  in  their  unfeeling  efforts  to  abuse 

O  O 

the  South,  and  impress  the  world  with  the  idea  that 
crackers  and  poor  whites  are  entirely  of  Southern 
origin,  and  only  found'  in  that  locality,  they  being 
the  outgrowth  of  a  slave  oligarchy. 

That  indigenous  class  of  persons  called  Southern 
crackers  receive  names  according  to  their  locality. 
In  South  Carolina  and  South  Georgia  they  are 
called  "Poor  Buckra,"  and  in  Florida  "Sand  Lap- 
pers,"  or  "  Crackers."  The  Florida  crackers  are 
supposed  to  be  named  from  the  facility  with  which 
they  eat  corn,  it  being  their  chief  article  of  diet, 
while  some  few  contract  the  habit  of  dirt-eating, 
and  have  been  named  "Sand  Lappers." 

The  true  derivation  of  cracker,  notwithstanding 


Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes.  63 

all  the  evidence  given  before  on  the  subject,  is  the 
original  word  for  Quaker,  which  in  Spanish  is 
cuacero,  first  changed  into  cuaker  by  the  English, 
and  again  into  cracker.  From  this  we  may  learn 
that  neither  cattle- whips  nor  corn  -  cracking  had 
any  thing  to  do  with  the  naming  of  these  people. 

These  crackers  have  few  local  attachments  ;  mov- 
ing twice  in  a  year  does  not  inconvenience  them ; 
indeed,  no  earthly  state  of  existence  can  be  imag- 
ined freer  from  care  and  less  fraught  with  toil  than 
the  one  they  lead.  "When  settled,  they  are  not  fas- 
tidious about  their  habitations,  as  the  mild  climate 
does  not  require  close  quarters;  a  good  shelter  will 
subserve  their  purpose.  Like  birds  of  the  air,  they 
only  want  a  roosting-place  when  night  overtakes 
them.  Their  houses  are  mostly  made  of  logs, 
notched  to  fit  at  the  corners,  the  floors  being  often- 
times of  earth,  but  usually  boards  sawed  by  hand. 
These  tenements  are  scoured  once  a  week,  when  the 
beds  are  sunned,  and  every  thing  turned  out.  The 
men  are  not  always  dressed  in  "  store-clothes,"  with 
a  corresponding  outfit,  but  usually  country-made 
cotton  home-spun.  The  genuine  cracker  wears  a 
broad-brimmed  hat,  braided  from  palmetto,  a  brown- 
jean  coat  and  breeches,  a  deer-skin  vest  with  the  fur 
left  on,  and  a  pair  of  stout,  useful  cow-skin  boots, 
or  shoes.  He  supports  a  very  unkempt  mustache 
and  whiskers,  before  which  a  Broadway  dandy  would 
shrink  with  the  most  intense  disgust.  This  natural 

o 

growth  obscures  a  mouth  well  filled  with  teeth, 
which  were  nature's  gift,  and  the  handiwork  of  no 
dentist — from  whence  is  kept  a  constant  ejecting  of 


64  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

tobacco-juice.  He  always  has  a  body-guard  of  dogs 
whenever  and  wherever  you  find  him,  the  number 
varying  according  to  his  condition  in  life  —  the 
poorer  the  man,  the  larger  the  number  of  canines. 
These  animals  are  very  thin,  whether  from  a  defi- 
ciency in  their  master's  larder,  or  the  constant  ram- 
bling life  they  lead,  has  not  been  exactly  determined. 
Around  his  master's  neck  is  suspended  a  flask  of 
shot  and  powder-horn,  while  in  his  hands  is  a  rifle 
named  "  Sure-fire,"  which  he  says  was  never  known 
to  flicker,  warranted  to  bring  down  any  game  within 
a  range  of  two  hundred  yards,  running  or  flying. 
These  people,  like  the  patriarchs  of  old,  have  large 
families,  which  require  about  the  same  attention  as 
puppies  or  kittens.  When  night  comes  the  children 
curl  up  in  almost  any  corner  to  sleep,  and  at  dawn 
of  day,  when  the  early  songsters  dash  the  dew-drops 
from  the  grass  and  flowers,  they  are  out  hunting  for 
berries,  or  watching  the  birds  building  their  nests, 
that  they  may  know  where  to  find  the  eggs,  in  which 
enterprise  they  are  experts. 

The  cracker  has  a  hearty  welcome  for  the  stranger, 
which  puts  the  blush  of  contempt  upon  those  claim- 
ing a  much  higher  degree  of  civilization.  Every 
thing  the  house  contains  is  free  to  visitors.  Al- 
though the  bill  of  fare  bears  no  resemblance  to  the 
St.  James  Hotel  or  Carleton  House  in  Jacksonville, 
yet  quantity  will  make  up  for  quality.  Chickens 
are  always  killed  for  company,  without  counting  the 
number  of  Christmas  holidays  they  have  seen. 
Your  plate  is  piled  with  sweet  potatoes  and  corn- 
dodger bread,  or  ash-cake,  to  be  washed  down  with 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  65 

strong  coffee,  which  they  always  manage  to  keep  ou 
hand  for  special  occasions.  The  old  folks  are  very 
attentive;  but  where  are  the  children?  Run  away 
like  wild  rabbits.  They  are  out  taking  a  view  of 
the  company.  Watch,  and  you  will  soon  see  curious 
little  eyes  looking  through  the  cracks,  or  slipping 
around  the  corners.  These  crackers  are  a  very 
communicative  class  of  persons,  always  full  of  in- 
formation pertaining  to  Florida,  and  as  ready  to 
talk  as  a  freshly -wound,  well-regulated  Yankee 
clock  to  keep  time.  The  father  of  the  family  is 
called  "dad,"  the  mother  "mam."  The  husband 
speaks  of  his  wife  as  "the  old  woman,"  the  wife 
says  "old  man,"  while  the  children  are  always 
called  girls  and  boys.  Women  among  no  class  of 
people  in  the  South,  however  poor,  are  ever  called 
"  heifers,"  as  one  Northern  writer  has  represented, 
unless  by  their  conduct  they  are  lost  both  to  virtue 
and  shame.  The  cracker  exercises  his  prudential 
care  by  always  keeping  hogs.  It  is  the  main  sup- 
port of  the  family;  and  these  razor-backed  tourists 
are  constantly  going  on  voyages  of  discovery,  either 
by  land  or  sea.  They  often  excite  the  sympathies 
of  visitors  on  account  of  their  thin  bodies,  but  they 
possess  more  self-sustaining  qualities  than  those  who 
are  sorry  for  them,  showing  what  hogs  can  do  as 
well  as  people,  when  thrown  on  their  own  resources. 
The  sea-shore  swine,  which  receive  sustenance  from 
the  beach,  can  feed  twice  in  twenty-four  hours,  when 
the  tide  recedes,  and  no  depleted  stores  tell  the 
amount  of  fish,  oysters,  and  other  marine  morsels, 
which  are  deposited  within  their  bony  frames. 
4 


66  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  above  is  a  true  statement  in  regard  to  the 
Southern  crackers,  which  excites  the  commisera- 
tion of  so  many  people  who  know  nothing  about 
them,  and  would,  no  doubt,  be  greatly  benefited  by 
reserving  their  concern  for  themselves,  remember- 
ing, "Where  little  is  given,  little  is  required." 

Civilization  has  commenced  making  its  mark  on 
the  Ocklawaha,  and  the  march  of  improvement, 
which  never  tires  in  its  efforts,  is  leaving  its  foot- 
prints here.  These  new  developments  are  visible 
from  the  various  landings  which  the  steamer  makes, 
as  it  advances  through  the  rapid  current.  In  order 
to  effect  a  landing,  the  bow  of  the  craft  is  run 
against  the  shore,  when  the  command  is  given  by 
the  Captain,  with  as  much  authority  as  though  a 
ship  from  England  had  arrived  on  foreign  shores, 
"Make  fast!"  This  order  is  executed  by  putting  a 
hawser  an  inch  in  circumference  around  a  stake 
driven  in  the  ground.  Here  are  two  cords  of  wood 
waiting  to  be  loaded,  called  in  cracker  vernacular 
"  light-wood,"  filled  with  turpentine,  from  which  the 
article  of  commerce  is  manufactured.  The  vender 
of  this  commodity  is  on  shore,  waiting  for  an  op- 
portunity to  dispose  of  his  pile  when  "the  charcoal 
sketches"  commence  "wooding-up." 

Nearly  all  the  passengers  improve  the  time  by 
taking  a  walk  on  shore  to  see  the  country  while  the 
hands  on  board  are  working.  A  countryman  is 
trying  to  sell  a  bear-skin  to  some  of  the  crowd. 
These  Floridians  always  ask  more  than  they  can  get, 
to  see  what  visitors  will  stand. 

The  sun  has  set,  and  we  are  now  entering  upon  a 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


67 


night  of  darkness,  in  a  wilderness  of  leaves  and 
blooms,  on  the  water,  near  thickets  where  the  hun- 
gry wolf  lurks  for  his  prey,  and  the  bear  growls 
from  his  covert  of  security ;  where  the  wild  deer  nips 
the  grass  and  feasts  from  herbage  green,  frequenting 
haunts  where  the  hounds  lose  their  trail,  and  the 
foot  of  the  civilized  hunter  has  never  trod.  A. 
bright  blaze,  made  from  light-wood  knots,  is  placed 
in  a  frame  on  the  bow  of  our  craft,  and,  like  the 
"pillar  of  fire"  which  preceded  the  Israelites 
through  the  wilderness,  is  our  guide.  Here,  encir- 
cled by  trees  whose  long  limbs 
overlap  each  other  so  thickly 
that  only  a  glimmer  of  dawn  is 
seen  through  the  small  openings, 
our  flame-lit  craft  winds  up  the 
serpentine  stream,  and  our  night- 
fires  send  out  a  glare  which  il- 
lumines the  darkness  far  as  the 
eye  can  see,  while  on  the  boughs 
above  our  heads  in  silence  sits  1VHo! 

the  owl,  with  only  an  occasional  "Who!"  to  let  us 
know  vitality  is  not  entirely  extinct  in  these  wilds. 
The  queer,  dusky-looking  figures,  moving  about 
with  their  pine  torches,  flashing  through  the  dark- 
ness,*and  yelling  at  each  other  in  cases  of  emer- 
gency, when  our  boat  appears  trying  to  climb  a  tree, 
remind  us  of  the  historic  plutonian  regions.  As 
we  glide  along,  our  pathway  is  marked  by  volumes 
of  pyrotechnic  showers  more  numerous  and  brilliant 
than  can  be  conceived,  which  burst  from  the  smoke- 
stacks, and  fall  on  the  water  before  they  are  extin- 


68 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


guished.  Phantom-like  we  move,  while  weird  forms 
retire  before  us,  but  still  clinging  to  our  boat  as  the 
connecting-link  between  civilized  and  savage  life,  a 
thoughtless  move  from  it  in  any  direction  being  a 
dangerous  and  hazardous  experiment. 

Every  landing  has  its  name,  kept  up  as  a  mark  of 
distinction  by  the  boatmen  and  settlers,  but  unknown 
to  history. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  69 


CHAPTER  V. 

ANY   incidents  of  travel  are   related   by 
different  savants,  and  those  of  humbler 
pretensions,  who    circulate   through  the 
country  for  various  purposes;  but  the  fol- 
lowing stands  without  a  parallel  as  a  gen- 
uine fact,  so  far  as  last  heard  from,  in  the  wilds  of 
Florida. 

As  we  entered  the  famous  Silver  Springs  this 
morning,  about  4  o'clock,  on  the  steamer  Okahum- 
kee,  another  boat  that  had  arrived  slightly  in  ad- 
vance of  us  was  anchored  very  near  our  stopping- 
place.  Upon  the  bows  of  each  were  burning  large 
light-wood  fires,  the  reflection  on  the  water  being 
only  comparable  to  the  magic  movements  of  en- 
chantment, while  the  shore,  encircled  with  tall  for- 
est-trees, embowered  the  whole  in  a  sylvan  retreat, 
where  Diana  herself  might  repose,  arid  be  refreshed 
for  the  more  exciting  amusements  of  the  chase. 
One  of  our  gentlemen-passengers,  upon  being  sud- 
denly aroused  from  his  sound  slumbers,  opened  his 
blind  for  the  purpose  of  taking  observations  of  the 
outside  world.  At  the  same  instant  a  very  fresh 
morning  breeze  fanned  his  brow,  causing  him  to 
make  a  most  convulsive  sneeze — which  effort  beins; 

O 

too  much  for  his  artificial  superstructure,  all  his 
upper  teeth  were  ejected  from  his  mouth  into  the 


70  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

water.  Upon  the  return  of  his  wandering  thoughts 
from  the  vision  of  beauty  before  him,  he  was  again 
apprised  of  the  stern  realities  which  would  have  to 
be  met  and  faced  without  the  valuable  accessories 
for  administering  to  his  comfort — particularly  in  the 
mastication  of  Florida  beef — teeth.  Soon  as  day 
dawned,  sympathetic  friends  gathered  around  him 
with  words  of  condolence,  while  the  services  of  all 
experts  in  the  art  of  descending  into  the  watery 
fluid,  without  being  drowned,  were  called  into  req- 
uisition. They  all  went  down  repeatedly,  and  re- 
turned without  the  lost  treasures.  Poles  were 
spliced,  armed  with  instruments  of  various  designs, 
with  which  they  raked  and  dredged  for  hours,  with 
toothless  success.  Large  rewards  were  offered, 
while  hope  in  the  heart  of  the  owner  sunk  below 
zero,  and  expectation  stimulated  the  movements  of 
only  one  artisan,  who  finally  succeeded  in  securing 
the  truant  grinders  by  fastening  a  tin  scoop  on  the 
end  of  a  forty -foot  pole,  and  bringing  them  out, 
amid  the  congratulations  of  friends  and  the  great 
joy  of  the  owner,  who  gave  the  persevering  negro 
his  proffered  reward — ten  dollars.  The  first  invest- 
ment made  by  the  colored  individual  was  two  bits 
for  tobacco,  which  he  could  chew  without  the  aid  of 
foreign  intervention. 

The  most  noticeable  point  on  the  Ocklawaha  is 
the  Mirror  of  Diana,  or  Silver  Springs,  which  is  the 
source  of  this  river,  where,  from  the  depths  of  some 
invisible  cavern,  boils  up  a  large  body  of  water, 
gathered  from  far  away,  forming  a  succession  of 
springs  nine  miles  in  length,  with  an  average  depth 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  71 

of  thirty-five  feet.  These  waters  rise  from  the  sub- 
terranean depths  of  the  earth,  with  their  crystal 
streams  pure  as  an  angel,  clear  as  the  noonday  sun, 
bright  and  beautiful  as  the  radiance  of  heavenly 
light.  This  spring  is  to  the  campers  and  movers 
who  travel  through  the  country  what  Jacob's  Well 
was  to  the  land  of  Samaria.  It  is  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  trees,  forming  columns  unknown  to 
drafts  or  plans  of  architectural  skill,  except  the  great 
Architect  of  the  universe.  More  than  thirty  years 
since,  the  land  around  this  spring  was  entered  as  a 
homestead  by  a  relative  of  that  memorable  martyr, 
John  Rogers.  Mr.  Rogers,  with  whom  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  conversing,  said  its  present  appearance 
was  the  same  as  when  he  first  saw  it — the  water  be- 
ing so  clear  that  looking  down  in  it  appeared  like 
the  sky  above  it:  he  could  see  no  difference  in 
depths,  look  which  way  he  would,  up  or  down. 
The  basin  is  lined  with  a  grayish  limestone,  which 
lies  in  ledges  on  the  bottom,  from  under  the  crev- 
ices of  which  dart  out  patriarchal  fish  of  immense 
size;  but  no  hook,  however  delicately  baited  and 
concealed,  can  lure  them  to  bite.  They  are  occa- 
sionally captured  with  lines  by  striking,  which  cus- 
tom was  practiced  by  the  Indians,  "while  graceful 
poised  they  threw  the  spear."  At  midday  the  sun- 
beams kiss  the  placid  surface  of  this  crystal  .fluid, 
while  they  are  reflected  by  the  transparent  waters, 
which  tremble  and  shimmer  with  resplendent  glo- 
ries. 

A  sunset  viewed  from  this  Mirror  of  Diana  fills 
the  imagination  with  emotions  of  grandeur,  to  be 


72  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

remembered  as  past  joys,  where  descriptive  powers 
are  inadequate  to  the  task.  The  parting  rays  of  old 
Sol  shine  upon  the  vast  forest  of  tall  trees,  draped 
with  Spanish  moss  suspended  in  mid-air,  resembling 
the  fragile  texture  of  some  fairy  realm  more  than  a 
tangible  substance;  or  when  twilight  deepens,  then 
the  stars  raise  their  eyelids,  and  peep  into  the  depths 
of  this  land-locked  mystery,  which  reveals  nothing 
of  its  past  history,  age,  or  origin. 

The  following  legend,  which  appeared  in  the  Na- 
tional Repository,  seems  so  much  in  keeping  with 
what  might  have  been  a  reality,  we  have  copied  it 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  fond  of  legendary 
tales: 

"A  long  time  ago,  when  Okahumkee  was  king 
over  the  tribes  of  Indians  who  roamed  and  hunted 
around  the  South-western  lakes,  an  event  occurred 
which  filled  many  hearts  with  sorrow.  The  king 
had  a  daughter  named  Weenonah,  whose  rare  beau- 
ty was  the  pride  of  the  old  man's  life.  Weenonah 
was  exceedingly  graceful  and  symmetrical  in  figure. 
Her  face  was  of  an  olive  complexion,  tinged  with 
light  brown,  her  skin  finely  transparent,  exquisitely 
clear.  It  was  easy  to  see  the  red  blood  beneath  the 
surface,  and  often  it  blushed  in  response  to  the  im- 
pulses of  a  warm  and  generous  nature.  Her  eye 
was  the  crystal  of  the  soul  —  clear  and  liquid,  or 
flashing  and  defiant,  according  to  her  mood.  But 
the  hair  was  the  glory  of  the  woman.  Dark  as  the 
raven's  plume,  but  shot  with  gleams  of  sacred  ar- 
rows, the  large  masses,  when  free,  rolled  in  tresses  of 
rich  abundance.  The  silken  drapery  of  that  splendid 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  73 

hair  fell  about  her  'like  some  royal  cloak  dropped 
from  the  cloud-land's  rare  and  radiant  loom.' 
Weenonah  was,  in  truth,  a  forest-belle — an  idol  of 
the  braves — and  many  were  the  eloquent  things  said 
of  her  by  the  red  men,  when  they  rested  at  noon, 
or  smoked  around  the  evening  fires.  She  was  a 
coveted  prize,  while  chiefs  and  warriors  vied  with 
each  other  as  to  who  should  present  the  most  valua- 
ble gift,  when  her  hand  was  sought  from  the  king, 
her  father.  But  the  daughter  had  already  seen  and 
loved  Chuleotah,  the  renowned  chief  of  a  tribe  which 
dwelt  among  the  wild  groves  near  Silver  Springs. 

"The  personal  appearance  of  Chuleotah,  as  de- 
scribed by  the  hieroglyphics  of  that  day,  could  be 
no  other  than  prepossessing.  He  was  arrayed  in  a 
style  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  a  chief.  Bold,  hand- 
some, well-developed,  he  was  to  an  Indian  maiden 
the  very  ideal  of  manly  vigor.  But  it  was  a  sad  truth 
that  between  the  old  chief  and  the  young,  and  their 
tribes,  there  had  long  been  a  deadly  feud.  They 
were  enemies.  When  Okahumkee  learned  that 
Chuleotah  had  gained  the  affections  of  his  beloved 
child,  he  at  once  declared  his  purpose  of  revenge. 
A  war  of  passion  was  soon  opened,  and  carried  on 
without  much  regard  to  international  amenities; 
nor  had  many  weeks  passed  away  before  the  noble 
Chuleotah  was  slain  —  slain,  too,  by  the  father  of 
Weenonah. 

"Dead!  Her  lover  dead!  Poor  "Weenonah !  Will 
she  return  to  the  paternal  lodge,  and  dwell  among 
her  people,  while  her  father's  hand  is  stained  with 
the  drippings  of  her  lover's  scalp?  No;  she  hur- 


74  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ries  away  to  the  well-known  fountain.  Her  heart  is 
there;  for  it  is  a  favorite  spot,  and  was  a  trysting- 
place,  where  herself  and  Chuleotuh  met.  Its  asso- 
ciations are  all  made  sacred  by  the  memories  of  the 
past,  while  on  the  glassy  bosom  of  the  spring  the 
pale  ghost  of  Chuleotah  stands  beckoning  her  to 
come.  'Yes,  my  o\vn,  my  beloved  one,  I  come.  I 
will  follow  where  thon  leadest,  to  the  green  and 
flowery  land.'  Thus  spake  the  will,  if  not  the  lips, 
of  the  maiden.  It  is  not  a  mere  common  suicide 
which  she  now  contemplates;  it  is  not  despair,  nor 
a  broken  heart,  nor  the  loss  of  reason;  it  is  not  be- 
cause she  is  sick  of  the  world,  or  tired  of  life.  Her 
faith  is,  that  by  an  act  of  self-immolation  she  will 
join  her  lover  on  that  spirit- plain,  whose  far-off, 
strange  glory  has  now  for  her  such  an  irresistible 
attraction. 

"The  red  clouds  of  sunset  had  passed  away  from 
the  western  skies.  Gray  mists  came  stealing  on, 
but  they  soon  melted  and  disappeared,  as  the  stars 
shone  through  the  airy  blue.  The  moon  came  out 
with  more  than  common  brilliancy,  and  her  light 
silvered  the  fountain.  All  was  still,  save  the  night- 
winds,  that  sighed  and  moaned  through  the  lofty 
pines.  Then  came  Weenonah  to  the  side  of  the 
spring,  where,  gazing  down,  she  could  see  on  the 
bottom  the  clear,  green  shelves  of  limestone,  slop- 
ing into  sharp  hollows,  opening  here  and  there  into 
still  profounder  depths.  Forty  feet  below,  on  the 
mass  of  rock,  was  her  bed  of  death — easy  enough 
for  her,  as  before  she  could  reach  it  the  spirit  must 
have  fled.  The  jigged  rocks  on  the  floor  could 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  75 

therefore  produce  no  pain  in  that  beautiful  form. 
For  a  moment  she  paused  on  the  edge  of  the  spring, 
then  met  her  palms  above  her  head,  and  with  a  wild 
leap  she  fell  into  the  whelming  waves. 

"Down  there  in  the  spring  are  shells,  finely  pol- 
ished by  the  attrition  of  the  waters.  They  shine 
with  purple  and  crimson,  mingled  with  white  irra- 
diations, as  if  beams  of  the  Aurora,  or  clouds  of  a 
tropical  sunset,  had  been  broken  and  scattered 
among  them.  Now,  mark  those  long,  green  fila- 
ments of  moss,  or  fresh-water  algse,  swaying  to  and 
fro  to  the  motion  of  the  waves;  these  are  the  loos- 
ened braids  of  Weenonah's  hair,  whose  coronet 
gives  us  such  beautiful  coruscations,  sparkling  and 
luminous,  like  diamonds  of  the  deep,  when  in  the 
phosphorescence  of  night  the  ocean  w7aves  are  tipped 
with  fire.  These  relics  of  the  devoted  Indian  girl  are 
the  charm  of  Silver  Springs.  But  as  to  Weenonah 
herself — the  real  woman  who  could  think  and  feel, 
with  her  affections  and  memory — she  has  gone  to 
one  of  those  enchanted  isles  far  out  in  the  western 
sea,  where  the  maiden  and  her  lover  are  united,  and 
where  both  have  found  another  Silver  Spring,  amid 
the  rosy  bowers  of  love  eternal." 

Thus  runs  the  Indian  legend  of  Silver  Springs,  in 
Florida. 

The  following  description  of  Silver  Spring,  writ- 
ten by  Prof.  John  Le  Conte,  although  entirely  di- 
vested of  myth  and  mystery,  contains  truthful  facts 
that  continue  to  invest  it  with  a  charm  which  stirs 
the  current  of  our  thoughts  as  no  other  natural 
scenery  in  the  State : 


76  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

"This  remarkable  spring  is  situated  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Marion  county,  in  the  State  of  Florida,  in 
latitude  29°  15'  north,  and  longitude  82°  20'  west. 
It  is  about  five  miles  north-east  of  Ocala,  the  county- 
seat,  and  nearly  in  the  axis  of  the  peninsula,  being 
equally  distant  from  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts. 
Its  waters  are  discharged  by  a  short  stream  bearing 
the  same  name,  which,  after  running  about  six  miles, 
unites  with  the  Ocklawaha,  a  tributary  of  the  St. 
John's  River.    The  stream  takes  its  origin  in  a  deep 
pool,  or  head-basin,  which  is  called  the  Silver  Spring. 
This  basin  is  nearly  circular  in  shape,  about  two 
hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  surrounded  by  hills 
covered  with  live-oaks,  magnolias,  sweet-bays,  and 
other  gigantic  evergreens.      The  amount  of  water 
discharged  is  so  large  that  small  steamers  and  barges 
readily  navigate  the  Silver  Spring,  up  to  the  pool,  or 
head-spring,  where  there  is  a  landing  for  the  ship- 
ment of  cotton,  sugar,  and  other  produce.     These 
steamers  and  barges  make  regular  trips  between  the 
Spring  and  Pilatka,  on  the  St.  John's.     The  boat- 
men informed  me  that  at  its  junction  with  the  Ock- 
lawaha more  than  one-half  the  water  is  contributed 
by  the  Silver  Spring  stream.    This  stream,  for  about 
two  miles  from  its  source,  varies  in  breadth  from 
forty-five  to  one  hundred  feet,  and  its  depth  in  the 
shallowest  parts  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet,  its  average 
velocity  being  about  two  miles  per  hour.    The  fluc- 
tuations of  water-level  in  this  spring  seem  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  season  of  rains,  but  never  varying 
more  than  two  feet.     The  commencement  of  the 
rainy  season  changes  from  the  loth  of  June  to  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  77 

15th  of  July.  The  waters  of  the  spring  begin  to 
rise  about  the  middle  of  the  season  of  summer 
rains,  and  attain  their  maximum  height  about  its 
termination.  The  maximum  depth  of  water  in  the 
basin  constituting  the  head  of  the  spring  was  found 
to  be  not  more  than  thirty-six  feet  in  the  deepest 
crevice  from  which  the  water  boils  up ;  the  general 
depth  in  the  central  and  deep  parts  of  the  basin  was 
found  to  be  about  thirty  feet.  Inasmuch  as  accurate 
quantitative  determinations,  however  easily  applied, 
are  seldom  resorted  to  by  the  unscientific,  we  need 
not  be  surprised  that  its  real  depth  falls  very  far 
short  of  its  reputed  depth.  In  South  Carolina,  the 
reported  depth  was  variously  stated  at  from  one 
hundred  and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
while  the  smallest  estimate  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
spring  wTas  forty-five  feet!  This  affords  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  general  law,  that  the  accuracy  of  popular 
statements  bears  an  inverse  proportion  to  the  dis- 
tance from  the  point  of  observation — probably,  like 
all  emanations  from  centers,  following  the  law  of 
inverse  squares. 

"Doubtless,  the  greater  portion  of  the  water  which 
flows  in  the  Silver  Spring  River  is  furnished  by  this 
principal  or  head-spring;  but  there  are  several  trib- 
utary springs  of  similar  character  along  the  course 
of  the  stream,  which  contribute  more  or  less  to  the 
volume  of  water.  These  usually  occur  in  deep  ba- 
sins, or  coves,  along  the  margin  of  the  stream.  The 
depth  of  one  of  these  coves,  situated  about  two  hun- 
dred yards  below  the  head -spring,  was  found  to  be 
thirty-two  feet  in  the  crevice  in  the  limestone  hot- 


78  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

torn  from  which  the  water  boiled;  in  other  deep 
parts  of  the  basin  the  depth  was  about  twenty-four 
feet.  The  'Bone -yard,'  from  which  several  speci- 
mens of  mastodon  bones  have  been  taken,  is  situated 
two  miles  below  the  head-spring,  it  being  a  cove,  or 
basin,  measuring  twenty-six  feet. 

"The  most  remarkable  and  really  interesting  phe- 
nomenon presented  by  this  spring  is  the  truly  extra- 
ordinary transparency  of  the  water — in  this  respect 
surpassing  any  thing  which  can  be  imagined.  All 
of  the  intrinsic  beauties  which  invest  it,  as  well  as 
the  wonderful  optical  properties  which  popular  re- 
ports have  ascribed  to  its  waters,  are  directly  or  in- 
directly referable  to  their  almost  perfect  diaphaneity. 
On  a  clear  and  cairn  day,  after  the  sun  has  attained 
sufficient  altitude,  the  view  from  the  side  of  a  small 
boat  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  near  the 
center  of  the  head-spring,  is  beautiful  beyond  de- 
scription, and  well  calculated  to  produce  a  powerful 
impression  upon  the  imagination.  Every  feature 
and  configuration  of  the  bottom  of  this  gigantic 
basin  is  as  distinctly  visible  as  if  the  water  was  re- 
moved, and  the  atmosphere  substituted  in  Us  place. 

"A  large  portion  of  the  bottom  of  this  pool  is 
covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  water-grass  and 
gigantic  moss-like  plants,  or  fresh-water  algse,  which 
attain  a  height  of  three  or  four  feet.  The  latter  are 
found  in  the  deepest  parts  of  the  basin.  Without 
doubt,  the  development  of  so  vigorous  a  vegetation 
at  such  depths  is  attributable  to  the  large  amount 
of  solar  light  which  penetrates  these  waters.  Some 
parts  are  devoid  of  vegetation;  these  are  composed 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  79 

of  limestone  rock  and  sand,  presenting  a  white  ap- 
pearance. The  water  boils  up  from  fissures  in  the 
limestone;  these  crevices  being  filled  with  sand  and 
comminuted  limestone,  indicate  the  ascending  cur- 
rents of  water  by  the  local  milk-like  appearance  pro- 
duced by  the  agitation  of  their  contents. 

"These  observations  were  made  about  noon,  dur- 
ing the  month  of  December — the  sunlight  illumin- 
ing the  sides  and  bottom  of  this  remarkable  pool, 
brilliantly,  as  if  nothing  obstructed  the  light.  The 
shadows  of  our  little  boat,  of  our  hanging  heads  and 
hats,  of  projecting  crags  and  logs,  of  the  surround- 
ing forest,  and  of  the  vegetation  at  the  bottom,  were 
distinctly  and  sharply  defined;  while  the  constant 
waving  of  the  slender  and  delicate  moss-like  alga, 
by  means  of  the  currents  created  by  the  boiling  up 
of  the  water,  and  the  swimming  of  numerous  fish 
above  this  miniature  subaqueous  forest,  imparted  a 
living  reality  to  the  scene  which  can  never  be  forgot- 
ten. If  we  add  to  this  picture,  already  sufficiently 
striking,  that  objects  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water,  when  viewed  obliquely,  were  fringed  with 
the  prismatic  hues,  we  shall  cease  to  be  surprised  at 
the  mj'sterious  phenomena  with  which  vivid  imag- 
inations have  invested  this  enchanting  spring,  be- 
sides the  inaccuracies  which  have  been  perpetuated 
in  relation  to  the  wonderful  properties  of  its  waters. 
On  a  bright  day  the  beholder  seems  to  be  looking 
down  from  some  loft}'  air-point  on  a  truly  fairy  scene 
in  the  immense  basin  beneath  him — a  scene  whose 
beauty  and  magical  effect  is  vastly  enhanced  by  the 
chromatic  tints  with  which  it  is  inclosed. 


80  Petals  Pinched  from  Sunny  Climes. 

"Popular  opinion  has  ascribed  to  these  waters  re- 
markable magnifying  power.  In  confirmation  of 
this,  it  is  commonly  reported  that  the  New  York 
Herald  can  be  read  at  the  deepest  parts  of  the  pool. 
It  is  almost  needless  to  state  that  the  waters  do  not 
possess  this  magnifying  power;  that  it  is  only  the 
large  capitals  constituting  the  heading  of  this  paper 
which  can  be  read  at  the  bottom,  and  that  the  ex- 
traordinary transparency  of  the  water  is  abundantly 
sufficient  to  account  for  all  analogous  facts.  A  va- 
riety of  careful  experiments  were  made,  with  a  view 
of  testing  this  point,  by  securing  printed  cards  to  a 
brick  attached  to  a  fathoming-line,  and  observing  at 
what  depth  the  words  could  be  read  when  seen  ver- 
tically. Of  course,  when  looked  at  obliquely,  the 
letters  were  distorted  and  colored  by  refraction. 
Numerous  comparative  experiments  were  likewise 
executed  in  relation  to  the  distances  at  which  the 
same  cards  could  be  read  in  the  air.  The  results  of 
these  experiments  maybe  announced  in  a  few  words 
— namely,  that  when  the  letters  are  of  considerable 
size — say  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  more  in  length — on 
a  clear,  bright  day,  they  could  be  read  at  about  as 
great  a  vertical  distance  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water  as  they  could  in  the  atmosphere.  In  some  in- 
stances cards  were  read  by  those  ignorant  of  the 
contents  at  depths  varying  from  six  to  thirty  feet. 
The  comparative  experiments  in  reading  the  cards 
in  air  and  water  serve  to  convey  a  more  distinct  idea 
of  the  wonderful  diaphanous  properties  of  the  latter 
than  any  verbal  description. 

"Some  have  thought  there  was  something  myste- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  81 

rious  in  the  fact  that  objects  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  water,  when  viewed  obliquely,  are  fringed  with, 
prismatic  hues.  It  is  unnecessary  to  remind  the 
physicist  that  such  a  phenomenon  is  a  direct  phys- 
ical consequence  of  the  laws  of  dispersion  of  light 
by  refraction.  Observation  has  proved  that  white 
objects  on  a  dark  ground  were  fringed  with  blue  at 
the  top,  with  orange  and  red  at  the  bottom,  while 
the  color  of  the  fringing  was  reversed  for  dark  ob- 
jects on  a  white  ground — this  being  exactly  in  ac- 
cordance with  recognized  optical  principles.  In  the 
present  case,  the  phenomenon  is  remarkably  strik- 
ing and  conspicuous,  probably  from  two  causes: 
first,  because  the  extraordinary  transparency  of  the 
water  rendered  subaqueous  objects  highly  luminous; 
and  secondly,  because  the  gigantic  evergreens  which 
fringed  the  pool  cut  oft'  most  of  the  surface  reflection, 
which  would  otherwise  have  impaired  the  visual  im- 
pression produced  by  the  more  feeble  refracted  and 
dispersed  rays  proceeding  from  the  objects  —  the 
shadow  of  the  surrounding  forest  forming  a  dark 
background,  analogous  to  the  black  cloud  on  which 
a  rainbow  is  projected." 

The  land  improvements  near  the  springs  are  not 
particularly  fascinating.  There  are  two  landings 
about  one-half  mile  distant  from  each  other,  called 
Upper  and  Lower.  At  the  Lower  Landing  is  a  large 
turpentine  distillery,  the  property  of  Messrs.  Agnew 
&  Co.,  where  thirty  barrels  of  turpentine  and  one 
hundred  of  rosin  are  manufactured  monthly.  The 
Upper  Landing  has  a  large  ware-house,  usually  well 
filled  with  goods  from  steamers,  to  furnish  the  back 


82  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

country,  together  with  produce  for  shipment  to  New 
York  and  many  other  points. 

Mrs.  F.  A.  House  has  a  dry-goods  store  in  the 
vicinity,  and  a  small  orange  grove  of  very  promising 
appearance.  A  boarding-house  is  kept  open  in  the 
winter,  but  we  are  unable  to  state  what  benefit 
could  be  derived  in  drinking  the  strong  limestone 
water  from  the  spring,  unless  the  scenery  would 
compensate  for  the  lack  of  life-giving  properties  in 
the  transparent  fluid.  A  bar-room  is  kept  here  by 
a  man  with  much -inflamed  eyes,  which  are,  no 
doubt,  caused  by  imbibing  his  villainous  com- 
pounds too  freely,  in.  the  absence  of  better-paying 
customers. 

Tourists  wishing  to  visit  Ocala  can  be  accommo- 
dated with  a  conveyance  on  reasonable  terms. 
Ocala  is  a  nice  little  town,  six  miles  distant,  nestled 
among  the  hummocks,  embowered  in  a  growth  of 
grand  water-oaks,  orange  -  trees,  and  ornamental 
shrubbery.  It  is  the  capital  of  Marion  county.  A 
good  hotel  is  kept  here  by  Mr.  E.  J.  Harris,  where 
about  forty  boarders  can  be  accommodated.  In  the 
center  of  the  park  stands  a  very  creditable  court- 
house, while  churches  of  various  creeds  are  located 
in  the  suburbs.  It  is  a  central  business  resort  for 
the  country  people  many  miles  around. 

This  locality  is  described  by  De  Soto  as  being  "a 
fertile  region  of  country  where  maize  is  abundant, 
also  acorns,  grapes,  and  plums."  Near  here  the 
Spaniards  entered  upon  the  territory  of  a  chief 
called  Vitachuco,  who  received  them  with  demon- 
strations of  hostility;  "where  a  bloody  battle  was 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  83 

fouglit  between  two  lakes  on  a  level  plain,  when 
two  hundred  warriors  plunged  into  the  water,  and 
there  remained  without  touching  laud  for  twenty- 
four  hours."  Ocala  has  a  population  of  several 
hundred  inhabitants,  which  have  more  the  appear- 
ance of  enjoyment  than  those  of  any  other  town  in 
the  State.  The  climate  being  so  mild,  no  arrange- 
ments are  made  in  the  stores  and  offices  for  warm- 
ing; consequently  when  a  cool  morning  comes,  little 
camp-fires  are  built  around  the  public  square,  before 
which  are  gathered  many  happy,  contented-looking 
faces,  of  all  professions,  accepting  things  as  they 
find  them,  taking  a  cool  breeze  with  the  firmness  of 
a  Stoic,  knowing  it  is  only  of  short  duration— a  kind 
of  Northern  aggression,  which  the  warm  sunshine 
will  soon  waft  away.  As  the  fragments  of  lost  fort- 
unes float  by  them,  they  do  not  settle  into  apathy 
and  despair  over  the  wreck,  but  all  seem  resigned  to 
their  fate,  trying  to  be  as  happy  as  the  force  of  cir- 
cumstances will  permit.  They  are  mostly  persons 
of  fine  mental  culture,  besides  being  the  best,  most 
hospitable  people  in  existence;  indeed,  their  society 
seems  like  an  oasis  in  the  desert  of  this  cold,  selfish 
world. 

The  lands  around  are  gently  undulating,  with  an 
abundance  of  rolling  hummock  and  first-class  pine. 
It  was  formerly  considered  the  most  productive 
county  in  the  State,  containing  the  best  orange 
groves,  and  before  the  war  raising  the  largest 
amount  of  sea-island  cotton,  besides  oranges,  sugar, 
and  sirup  in  abundance.  Many  planters  became 
discouraged  durino-  the  late  war  on  account  of  in- 


84  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ability  to  work  their  large  plantations,  and  aban- 
doned them.  These  fertile  tracts  are  for  sale  now 
in  lots  to  suit  colonists,  or  accommodate  single  set- 
tlers. An  average  of  two  thousand  pounds  of  sugar 
to  the  acre  can  be  produced  here.  The  soil  is  dark, 
alluvial,  and  porous,  containing  phosphate  of  lime 
and  other  fertilizers,  which  possess  the  power  of  re- 
cuperation when  not  being  cultivated.  Lime-rock 
abounds,  covering  the  earth  in  the  form  of  bowlders 
and  drifts,  indicating  a  clay  soil.  Good  lands  can 
be  purchased  at  from  five  to  ten  dollars  per  acre. 

Marion  county  is  called  the  back -bone  of  the 
State — it  being  the  center  from  which  the  waters 
recede  on  each  side,  until  what  was  the  ocean's  bed 
is  now  cultivated  land.  This  theory  is  confirmed 
from  the  fact  of  numerous  fossil  remains  to  be  seen 
on  the  surface,  consisting  of  fish,  birds,  alligators'- 
shells,  oysters,  together  with  the  bones  of  an  animal 
unknown  to  the  present  generation  ;  but  if  his  voice 
was  proportionate  to  his  body,  he  must  have  made 
the  earth  tremble  with  sound.  The  following  amus- 
ing story  is  related  in  reference  to  this  mammoth 
animal  during  the  pioneer  movements  of  boats 
which  first  navigated  the  Ocklawaha  River: 

One  morning  early,  as  the  gray  dawn  was  stealing 
through  the  shades  of  night,  the  inhabitants  were 
aroused  from  their  slumbers  by  an  unusual  noise. 
An  old  hunter  named  Matt.  Driggers,  whose  ear  was 
ever  on  the  alert  for  the  scream  of  the  wild  cat,  the 
howl  of  the  wolf,  the  yell  of  the  panther,  or  the 
growl  of  the  bear,  rushed  out,  exclaiming,  ""What  on 
airth  is  that?"  The  sound  was  repeated,  when 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  85 

Matt,  convulsively  grasped  his  hunting-horn,  and 
blew  a  blast  from  his  stentorian  lungs  which  echoed 
through  a  vast  extent  of  country.  His  faithful 
hounds  came  whining  about  him,  anxious  for  the 
hunt.  Taking  down  his  rifle  "Dead  Shot"  from 
the  hooks,  he  mounted  his  lank  steed,  and  rode  with 
haste  to  the  nearest  neighbor,  Pat  Kennedy.  "  Hel- 
low,  Pat !  you  in  thar  asleep,  and  th^  devil  un- 
chained in  the  swamp !  Hark !  now  do  n't  you  hear 
him?"  "O  Matt,  that's  nothin'  but  one  of  those 
old  masterdons!  You  know  we  dun  seed  his  bones 
where  he  was  drowned  in  the  Wakulla  Spring." 
"I  dunno,  may  be  so;  one  thing  sartain,  he's  a 
mighty  big  varmint,  an'  his  voice  is  curoser  than 
any  thing  I  ever  hearn  afore  in  my  time."  "  But," 
says  Pat,  "  one  thing  sure  :  there  is  nothing  ranges 
these  parts  but  what  my  dogs  and  '  Kill  Quick'  can 
bring  down."  Summoning  all  his  dogs,  he  was 
soon  on  his  way  with  Matt.  Driggers  to  the  house, 
of  the  next  frontiersman.  Attracted  by  the  baying 
of  hounds  and  the  blowing  of  horns,  the  excitement 
ran  like  wild -fire  throughout  the  entire  neighbor- 
hood, until  all  the  settlers  were  collected. 

After  reviewing  his  comrades  and  counting  his 
dogs,  Matt.  Driggers,  confident  that  the  full  force  of 
the  country  was  mustered,  then  rode  bravely  through 
bushes  and  swamps,  fording  creeks  and  swimming 
lagoons,  in  pursuit  of  the  great  "  varmint."  When 
he  imagined  they  were  sufficiently  near,  he  ordered 
the  dogs  to  be  put  on  the  trail.  Simultaneous  with 
this  movement  came  another  shrill  echo  from  the 
supposed  huge  monster,  which  sent  the  dogs  cower- 


86  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ing  to  their  masters,  at  the  same  time  unnerving 
the  courage  of  the  bravest  hunter.  A  look  of  su- 
perstitious awe  was  depicted  upon  every  counte- 
nance, and  none  dared  advance  a  step  farther  except 
Matt.  Driggers,  who,  bolder  than  the  rest,  led  the 
way,  saying,  "Come,  boys;  if  the  dogs  are  scared, 
we  will  follow  by  the  sound!" 

Winding  their  course  cautiousl}7  through  the  val- 
ley, they  followed  in  the  direction  of  the  strange 
sound,  until  they  reached  the  basin  of  Silver  Springs, 
where  they  found  a  curious-looking  craft  discharg- 
ing cargo.  The  hunters  commenced  making  inquir- 
ies if  they  had  heard  that  great  monster  while  pass- 
ing through  the  valley,  at  the  same  time  describing, 
and  trying  to  imitate,  its  voice  to  the  best  of  their 
ability.  The  Captain,  to  their  great  satisfaction, 
then  told  and  illustrated  to  them  that  the  great  noise 
about  which  they  were  so  much  excited  was  only  a 
steam-boat  whistle! 

Sometimes,  the  water  being  too  low  for  steamers 
above  Silver  Springs,  visitors  are  deprived  of  a  great 
pleasure  in  not  seeing  this  portion  of  the  country, 
barges  and  slow  coaches  being  the  only  medium  of 
communication.  However,  this  inconvenience  will 
soon  be  overcome  by  a  contemplated  railroad. 
Large  portions  of  the  country  in  this  locality  are 
yet  open  to  homestead  settlers,  where  all  good  peo- 
ple will  receive  a  hearty  welcome. 

As  we  leave  the  river  and  springs,  the  scenery 
changes  from  trees  and  foliage  to  fertile  prairies  and 
long  marsh-grass,  which  sways  in  the  breeze  like 
troubled  waves.  Here  the  huge  alligators  luxuri- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  87 

ate  and  crawl  about  in  peaceful  security,  swallowing 
their  light-wood  knots  before  commencing  to  hiber- 
nate in  winter,  which  precaution  is  said  to  be  neces- 
sary, that  their  diaphragms  may  not  contract  during 
this  torpid  state. 

In  these  wilds  the  palmetto  rears  its  crowned  head 
in  solitude,  and  the  wild  orange  matures  its  golden 
fruit,  kissed  by  an  eternal  spring-time.  This  is  the 
home  of  the  curlew,  plume-crane,  blue  heron,  fish- 
hawk,  royal  king -fisher,  mocking-bird,  paroquet, 
red-bird,  blue-peter,  water-turkey,  limkin,  and  duck 
— all  of  them  God's  free  birds. 

Our  steamer  has  now  commenced  making  its 
pathway  through  wide,  deep  lakes,  and  we  are  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  Pilatka.  In  these 
waters  are  found  a  great  variety  of  fish — pike,  trout, 
bream,  perch;  while  in  the  surrounding  country  live 
the  black  bear,  wild  cat,  deer,  gray  fox,  squirrels  of 
all  kinds,  and  wild  hogs. 

The  first  body  of  water  is  Lake  Griffin,  twelve 
miles  long;  Lake  Eustace,  of  less  dimensions;  then 
Lake  Harris,  fifteen  miles  in  length,  seven  miles 
wide,  with  an  average  of  water  thirty  feet  in  depth. 
The  tide  of  immigration  is  concentrating  on  this 
lake  very  rapidly. 

The  following  incident  is  related  as  having  oc- 
curred among  the  primitive  inhabitants  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  country,  when  priests  were  not  always 
waiting  in  the  church  to  administer  the  rites  of 
matrimony  to  willing  lovers: 

A  devoted  suitor,  having  made  the  preliminary 
arrangements  for  the  celebration  of  his  nuptials,  set 


88  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

out  in  search  of  an  official  to  perform  the  ceremony. 
He,  never  having  been  initiated  into  the  mysteries 
of  matrimony  before,  ignorantly  inquired  of  the  first 
person  he  met  where  he  could  find  a  sheriff.  The 
man  replied  there  was  no  sheriff  nearer  than  Pilatka. 
"Why  do  you  wish  for  him  ? "  "I  'm  going  to  be 
married,  sir."  "  0  you  want  the  squire,  or  preacher." 
"  Do  you  know  where  a  preacher  lives,  then  ?  I 
thought  the  sheriff  would  do  as  well."  "The 
preacher  has  gone  on  the  circuit."  Knowing  a 
good  deacon  lived  near,  he  repaired  thither  as  a  last 
resort.  Finding  the  deacon  at  home,  he  related  to 
him,  in  tremulous  tones,  his  disagreeable  condition. 
The  deacon  informed  him  that  marrying  did  not 
come  within  the  pale  of  his  jurisdiction.  "But  I 
must  be  married,"  replied  the  intended  bridegroom. 
The  deacon  replied,  "Impossible,  sir!"  "Well, 
deacon,  can't  you  marry  us  just  a  little  till  the 
preacher  comes  home? " 

Leesburg,  fronting  partly  on  Lake  Harris,  is  a 
thriving  town ;  has  a  post-office,  court-house,  Masonic 
hall,  hotel,  private  boarding-houses,  church,  steam 
cotton-gin,  grist-mill,  lumber  dressing  machine,  etc. 
A  sugar-cane  mill  is  in  operation,  connected  with 
which  is  a  centrifugal  sugar-dryer,  the  only  one  in 
the  State.  This  mill  can  turn  out  fifteen  barrels  per 
day.  Every  thing  produced  here  finds  a  ready 
market,  as  boats  pass  almost  daily,  which  enables 
the  settlers  to  change  all  their  surplus  into  money, 
from  a  bale  of  cotton  or  moss  to  a  dozen  eggs. 

When  Colonel  Hart's  little  open  boat  and  engine 
first  came  up  to  dredge  out  the  barnets  and  swamp- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  89 

grass,  the  natives  gathered  around  him,  thinking  it 
was  a  cook-stove. 

The  Indians  traveled  through  these  swamps  by 
wading  in  the  water,  and  using  a  cow-hide  fastened 
at  the  ends  to  transport  their  provisions,  women, 
and  children,  which  they  drew  after  them,  thus 
making  a  trail  that  lasted  several  days,  which  en- 
abled their  friends  or  foes  to  follow  them. 

In  this  vicinity  we  find  historical  relics,  and  ap- 
proach tragic  grounds.  A  portion  of  the  cypress 
log  mentioned  by  De  Soto  in  his  travels  through 
Florida  is  still  to  be  seen;  also  an  artificial  cause- 
way, several  hundred  yards  in  length,  made  of  shells 
from  which  the  Indians  extracted  food  and  pearls, 
near  which  yet  remains  a  portion  of  one  of  those 
immense  mounds,  supposed  to  be  the  residence  of 
the  Cazique. 

Lake  Dunham  is  the  last  in  the  chain  of  these  in- 
land waters,  upon  which  is  situated  Okahumkee, 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  above  Pilatka. 
It  is  the  terminus  of  navigation. 

The  Ocklawaha  River  was  the  memorable  place 
where  the  Payne's  Treaty  Landing  was  drawn  up, 
and  between  the  terminus  of  this  chain  of  lakes  and 
the  Withlacoochee  River  are  located  the  tragic 
grounds  of  General  Thompson's  murder  and  the 
Dade  Massacre. 
5 


90  Petals  Plucked  from^Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HE  early  history  of  Florida  Territory,  soon 
after  it  came  into  the  possession  of  the 
United  States,  being  written  in  characters 
of  blood  for  years,  it  is  considered  both 
appropriate  and  interesting  to  intersperse 
a  sprinkling  of  historical  facts  in  this  work,  to  the 
authenticity  of  which  some  now  living  can  testify. 

The  Indians  were  intensely  opposed  to  emigrat- 
ing West,  as  that  country  offered  them  no  such 
means  of  idleness  as  Florida,  where  they  lived  with 
as  little  solicitude  as  the  buzzards  that  lazily  flew 
above  their  heads — while  in  Arkansas  they  would 
have  to  work  They  were  a  race  of  hunters  and 
fishermen,  with  no  habits  of  industry,  gliding  on 
the  surface  of  lakes  and  rivers,  with  as  little  idea  of 
locating  as  the  watery  inhabitants  they  captured. 

The  movements  of  the  Indians  and  American 
troops,  encumbered  with  their  wagons,  or  a  field- 
piece,  compared  unfavorably  with  the  agile  foe  they 
had  to  meet  in  warfare,  who  could  swim  the  streams 
and  leap  over  the  logs  of  the  wide  forest,  and  vanish, 
like  the  whooping  crane,  that  made  its  nest  at  night 
far  from  the  spot  where  it  dashed  the  dew  from  the 
flowers  and  grass  in  the  morning. 

One  of  the  occasions  of  the  Serninole  war,  like  our 
own  late  struggle,  was  on  account  of  the  fugitive 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  91 

slaves,  which  the  Indians  harbored,  instead  of  re- 
turning to  their  owners,  or  permitting  their  masters 
to  come  and  get  them. 

The  following  is  a  correct  copy  of  an  interesting 
document,  to  which  frequent  reference  was  made 
during  the  Florida  war,  as  a  compact  which  had 
been  violated.  We  have  transferred  it  as  an  item  of 
interest.  As  the  whites  found  the  Indians  becom- 
ing troublesome  neighbors,  this  treaty  was  drawn 
up  in  order  to  rid  the  country  of  them — its  violation 
being  the  true  cause  of  the  war: 

Treaty  of  Paynes  Landing,  concluded  May  9,  1832,  and  rati- 
fied April  12,  1834. 

ARTICLE  I.  That  the  Seminole  Indians  relinquish  to  the 
United  States  all  claim  to  the  lands  they  at  present  occupy  in 
the  Territory  of  Florida,  and  agree  to  immigrate  to  the  coun- 
try assigned  to  the  Creeks,  west  of  the  Mississippi  River — it 
being  understood  that  an  additional  extent  of  territory,  pro- 
portioned to  their  numbers,  will  be  added  to  the  Creek  coun- 
try, and  that  the  Seminoles  will  be  received  as  a  constituent 
part  of  the  Creek  Nation,  and  be  readmitted  to  all  the  privi- 
leges as  a  member  of  the  same. 

ART.  II.  For  and  in  consideration  of  the  relinquishment  of 
claim  in  the  first  article  of  this  agreement,  and  in  full  compen- 
sation for  all  the  improvements  which  may  have  been  made  on 
the  lands  thereby  ceded,  the  United  States  stipulate  to  pay  to 
the  Seminole  Indians  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  to  be  divided 
among  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  several  towns,  in  a  ratio 
proportioned  to  their  population,  the  respective  portions  of 
each  to  be  paid  on  their  arrival  in  the  country  they  consent  to 
move  to:  it  being  understood  their  faithful  interpreters,  Abra- 
ham and  Cudjo,  shall  receive  two  hundred  dollars  each  of  the 
above  sum,  in  full  remuneration  for  the  improvements  to  be 
abandoned,  now  cultivated  by  them. 

ART.  III.  The  United  States  agree  to  distribute,  as  they  ar- 


92  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

rive  at  their  homes  in  the  Creek  Territory,  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  a  blanket  and  home-spun  frock  to  each  warrior, 
women  and  children,  of  the  Seminole  tribe  of  Indians. 

ART.  IV.  The  United  States  agree  to  extend  the  annuity 
for  the  support  of  a  blacksmith,  provided  for  in  the  sixth  ar- 
ticle of  the  treaty  at  Camp  Moultrie,  for  ten  years  beyond  the 
period  therein  stipulated;  and  in  addition  to  the  other  annui- 
ties secured  under  that  treaty,  the  United  States  agree  to  pay 
three  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  fifteen  years,  commencing 
after  the  removal  of  the  whole  tribe — these  sums  to  be  added 
to  the  Creek  annuities,  and  the  whole  sum  to  be  divided,  that 
the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Seminole  Indians  may  receive 
their  equitable  portion  of  the  same,  as  members  of  the  Creek 
Confederation. 

ART.  V.  The  United  States  will  take  the  cattle  belonging 
to  the  Seminoles,  at  the  valuation  of  some  discreet  person  ap- 
pointed by  the  President,  and  the  same  shall  be  paid  for  in 
money  to  the  respective  owners,  after  their  arrival  at  their 
new  homes;  or  other  cattle,  such  as  may  be  desired,  will  be 
furnished  them,  notice  being  given  through  their  agent  of 
their  wishes  on  this  subject,  before  their  removal,  that  time 
may  be  afforded  to  supply  the  demand. 

ART.  VI.  The  Seminoles  being  anxious  to  be  relieved  from 
certain  vexatious  demands  for  slaves  and  other  property,  al- 
leged to  have  been  stolen  and  destroyed  by  them,  so  that  they 
may  remove  unembarrassed  to  their  new  homes,  the  United 
States  stipulate  to  have  the  same  property  investigated,  and 
to  liquidate  such  as  may  be  satisfactorily  established,  provided 
the  amount  does  not  exceed  seven  thousand  dollars. 

ART.  VII.  The  Seminole  Indians  will  remove  in  three  years 
after  the  ratification  of  this  agreement,  and  the  expenses  of 
their  removal  shall  be  paid  by  the  United  States;  and  such 
subsistence  shall  also  be  furnished  for  a  term  not  exceeding 
twelve  months  after  their  arrival  at  their  new  residence,  as  in 
the  opinion  of  the  President  their  numbers  may  require,  the 
emigration  to  commence  early  as  practicable  in  A.D.  1833,  and 
with  those  Indians  at  present  occupying  the  Big  Swamp  and 
other  parts  of  the  country  beyond,  as  defined  in  the  second 


Pttals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes.  93 

article  of  the  treaty  concluded  at  Camp  Moultrie  Creek,  so 
that  the  whole  of  that  proportion  of  Seminoles  may  be  re- 
moved within  the  year  aforesaid,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
tribe,  in  about  equal  proportions,  during  the  subsequent  years 
1834  and  1835. 

Done  at  Camp  at  Payne's  Landing,  on  the  Ocklawaha  River, 
in  the  Territory  of  Florida,  May  9,  1832. 

JAMES  GADSDEX,  Commissioner,  [L.  S.] 
and  fifteen  Chiefs. 

Osceola  figured  very  conspicuously  during  the 
early  history  of  our  Florida  troubles;  indeed,  we 
consider  the  following  statements  connected  with 
his  movements  as  items  of  unsurpassed  interest  to 
those  who  are  more  fond  of  facts  without  fiction 
than  the  wondrous  legends  of  any  day-dreamer. 

The  mother  of  Osceola  belonged  to  the  Red  Stick 
tribe  of  Indians,  a  branch  of  the  Creeks.  She  was 
married  to  Powell,  who  was  an  English  trader  among 
the  Indians  for  twenty  years,  and  for  this  reason  he 
is  sometimes  called  Powell  instead  of  Osceola.  He 
was  born  in  the  State  of  Georgia,  on  the  Tallapoosa 
River,  about  the  year  1800.  In  1808  a  quarrel  oc- 
curred among  the  Indians  of  the  Creek  tribe,  when 
the  mother  of  Osceola  left,  taking  him  with  her,  and 
retiring  to  the  Okefinokee  Swamp.  Powell  remained 
in  Georgia,  with  his  two  daughters,  and  emigrated 
to  the  West  with  them. 

In  1817  Osceola  retreated  before  General  Jackson, 
with  a  small  party,  and  settled  on  Pease  Creek.  A 
few  3'ears  afterward  he  removed  to  the  Big  Swamp, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  King,  uniting  himself 
with  the  Micosukces.  The  greater  portion  of  his 
life  was  spent  in  disquietude,  when  there  was  nei- 


94  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ther  peace  nor  war,  but  depredating  in  various 
ways.  He  was  opposed  to  the  Payne  Treaty,  de- 
claring he  would  fight  before  signing  it,  or  kill  any 
of  his  followers  who  made  a  move  toward  its  ratifi- 
cation. 

When  the  Indians  held  a  council  at  Fort  King, 
consisting  of  thirteen  chiefs,  only  eight  of  them  were 
willing  to  leave  for  the  West.  Hoithlee  Mattee,  or 
Jumper,  a  sworn  enemy  of  the  whites,  who  was 
called  in  their  language  "The  Lawyer,"  and  for 
whom  General  Jackson  had  offered  a  reward  of  five 
hundred  dollars,  rose  in  their  council,  with  all  the 
dignity  of  a  Roman  orator,  after  which  he  announced 
his  intention  in  thundering  tones:  "I  say  there  is 
no  good  feeling  between  Jumper  and  the  white  man. 
Every  branch  he  hews  from  a  tree  on  our  soil  is  a 
limb  lopped  from  Hoith lee's  body.  Every  drop  of 
water  that  a  white  man  drinks  from  our  springs  is  so 
much  blood  from  Hoithlee's  heart." 

After  the  return  of  Charlie  Emaltha  from  the 
West,  who  was  the  most  intelligent  of  their  chiefs, 
he  met  with  the  whites  in  council,  that  he  might 
give  expression  to  his  opinion:  "Remain  with  us 
here,"  said  he  to  the  whites,  "and  be  our  father; 
the  relation  of  parent  and  child  to  each  other  is 
peace — it  is  gentle  as  arrow-root  and  honey.  The 
disorderly  among  us  have  committed  some  depre- 
dations, but  no  blood  has  been  spilled.  We  have 
agreed  that  if  we  met  a  brother's  blood  on  the  road, 
or  even  found  his  dead  body,  we  should  not  believe 
it  was  by  human  violence,  but  that  he  had  snagged 
his  foot,  or  that  a  tree  had  fallen  upon  him;  that  if 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  95 

blood  was  spilled  by  either,  the  offender  should  an- 
swer for  it." 

Previous  to  this  period  the  Indians  were  lords  of 
the  soil,  and  considered  themselves  located  in  a  land 
of  undisputed  titles,  as  entirely  their  own  property, 
by  right  of  possession,  as  though  they  held  registered 
deeds. 

The  following  is  an  effort  at  Indian  poetry,  de- 
scriptive of  their  condition  previous  to  hostile  dem- 
onstrations: 

We  were  a  happy  people  then, 

Rejoicing  in  our  hunter  mood ; 
No  footsteps  of  the  pale-faced  men 
Had  marred  our  solitude. 

Osceola  was  not  tall,  but  of  fine  figure  and  splen- 
did physique,  his  head  being  always  encircled  with 
a  blue  turban,  surmounted  by  the  waving  tafa  luste, 
or  black-eagle  plumes,  with  a  red  sash  around  his 
waist.  He  was  a  time -server,  a  self- constituted 
agent,  and  a  dangerous  enemy  when  enraged.  In 
1834  the  United  States  survey  corps,  while  camping 
at  Fort  King,  was  visited  by  Osceola,  Fred  L.  Ming 
being  the  captain.  Indians  always  show  their  friend- 
ship by  eating  with  their  friends.  On  this  occasion 
he  refused  all  solicitations  to  partake  of  their  hospi- 
tality, and  sat  in  silence,  the  foam  of  rage  resting  in 
the  corners  of  his  mouth.  Finally  he  rose  to  retire, 
at  the  same  time  assuming  a  menacing  manner,  and, 
seizing  the  surveyor's  chain,  said:  "If  you  cross  my 
land  I  will  break  this  chain  in  as  many  pieces  as 
there  are  links  in  it,  and  then  throw  the  pins  so  far 
YOU  can  never  set  them  again."  Like  most  of  his 


96  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

race,  he  was  possessed  of  a  native  eloquence,  the 
following  of  which  is  a  specimen,  after  the  Payne's 
Landing  Treaty  was  framed  and  signed  by  some  of 
the  chiefs:  "There  is  little  more  to  be  said.  The 
people  have  agreed  in  council ;  by  their  chiefs  they 
have  uttered  it;  it  is  well;  it  is  truth,  and  must  not 
be  broken.  I  speak;  what  I  say  I  will  do ;  there  re- 
mains nothing  worthy  of  words.  If  the  hail  rattles, 
let  the  flowers  be  crushed;  the  stately  oak  of  the 
forest,  will  lift  its  head  to  the  sky  and  the  storms, 
towering  and  unscathed." 

The  whites  continued  urging  the  stipulations  of 
the  treaty  to  be  enforced,  while  the  Indians  contin- 
ued opposing  it  in  every  way.  It  is  a  law  of  our 
nature  that  the  weak  should  suspect  the  strong;  for 
this  reason  the  Seminoles  did  not  regard  the  Creeks 
as  their  friends,  but  feared  them.  Captain  Wiley 
Thompson,  the  Agent,  kept  reminding  the  Indians 
that  they  had  made  a  promise  to  leave  for  the  West. 
Messages  were  also  sent  to  Micanopy,  who.  after 
much  debating,  said  he  would  not  go.  Some  time 
afterward  General  Thompson  ordered  Osceola  to 
come  up  and  sign  the  emigration  list,  which  request 
maved  the  indignation  of  this  savage  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  desperation,  and  he  replied,  "I  will  not." 
General  Thompson  then  told  him  he  had  talked  with 
the  Big  Chief,  in  Washington,  who  would  teach  him 
better.  He  replied,  "I  care  no  more  for  Jackson 
than  for  you,"  and,  rushing  up  to  the  emigration 
treaty,  as  if  to  make  his  mark,  stuck  his  knife 
through  the  paper.  For  this  act  of  contempt  he 
was  seized,  manacled,  and  confined  in  Fort  King. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  97 

When  Col.  Fanning  arrested  him  he  was  heard  to 
mutter,  "The  sun  is  overhead,  I  shall  remember 
the  hour;  the  Agent  has  his  day,  I  will  have  mine." 
After  he  was  first  imprisoned  he  became  sullen,  but 
soon  manifested  signs  of  penitence,  and  called  the 
interpreter,  promising,  if  his  irons  W7ere  taken  off,  to 
come  back  when  the  sun  was  high  overhead,  and 
bring  with  him  one  hundred  warriors  to  sign  the 
paper — which  promise  was  fulfilled.  The  great  mis- 
take was  made  in  releasing  him  from  Fort  King.  If 
he  had  then  been  sent  West,  much  blood  and  treas- 
ure would  have  been  spared.  He  had  one  talk  for 
the  white  man,  and  another  for  the  red — being  a 
strange  compound  of  duplicity  and  superiority. 
After  his  release  he  commanded  his  wrarriors  to 
have  their  knives  in  readiness,  their  rifles  in  order, 
with  plenty  of  powder  in  their  pouches,  and  com- 
menced collecting  a  strong  force,  not  eating  or 
sleeping  until  it  was  done. 

The  first  direct  demonstration   of  hostility  was 
on  June  19,  1835,  near  what  was  called  the  Ilocrsfs 

f  ~O 

Town  settlement,  at  which  time  one  Indian  was 
killed,  another  fatally  injured;  also  three  whites 
wounded.  The  fray  commenced  by  some  whites 
whipping  a  party  of  five  Indians,  whom  they  had 
caught  in  the  act  of  stealing.  Private  Dalton,  a 
dispatch -rider,  was  killed  August  11,  1835,  while 
carrying  the  mail  from  Fort  Brooke  to  Fort  King. 
This  was  an  act  of  revenge  for  an  Indian  killed  in 
a  former  encounter.  Dalton  was  found  twenty  miles 
from  Fort  King  with  his  body  cut  open  and  sunk  in 
a  pond.  The  Indians  commenced  snapping  their 
5* 


98  Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

guns  in  the  face  of  the  Government,  at  the  same  time 
expressing  their  contempt  for  the  laws,  and  threat- 
ening the  country  with  bloodshed  if  any  force  should 
be  used  to  restrain  them.  November  30,  1835,  the 
following  order  was  issued  by  the  Agent:  "  The  cit- 
izens are  warned  to  consult  their  safety  by  sruardinsr 

«'  v      O  O 

against  Indian  depredations."  Hostilities  were  soon 
inaugurated  in  a  most  shock!  112;  manner,  with  a 

C7  O  / 

tragedy  of  deep  import  —  the  killing  of  Charlie 
Emaltha,  November  26,  1885 — which  act  was  only  a 
cold-blooded  murder,  Osceola  heading  this  band  of 
savages.  Charlie  Emaltha  was  shot  because  he 
favored  immigration,  and  was  preparing  to  move 
West. 

Osceola  afterward  selected  ten  of  his  boldest  war- 
riors, which  were  to  wreak  vengeance  on  General 
Thompson.  The  General  was  then  camping  at  Fort 
King,  little  dreaming  that  the  hour  of  his  dissolu- 
tion was  so  near,  or  that  Osceola  was  lying  in  wait  to 
murder  him.  Although  a  messenger  was  sent  to 

o  o 

tell  Osceola  of  the  "VVahoo  Swamp  engagement  be- 
ing in  readiness,  no  laurels  won  on  other  fields  had 
any  charms  for  him  until  Thompson  should  be  vic- 
timized by  his  revengeful  machinations.  After  lin- 
gering about  for  seven  days,  the  opportune  moment 
presented  itself,  when  Thompson  was  invited  away 
from  the  fort.  On  the  afternoon  of  December  28, 
1836,  as  he  and  Lieutenant  Smith,  who  had  dined 
out  that  day,  were  unguardedly  walking  toward  the 
sutler's  store,  about  a  mile  from  the  post,  the  sav- 
ages discovered  them.  Osceola  said,  "Leave  the 
Agent  for  me;  I  will  manage  him."  They  were 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.  99 

immediately  attacked  by  these  warriors,  when  they 
both  received  the  full  tire  of  the  enemy,  and  fell 
dead.  Thompson  was  perforated  with  fourteen  bul- 
let-holes, and  Smith  with  five.  The  Indians  then 
proceeded  to  the  store,  where  they  shot  Rogers  and 
four  others.  After  the  murder  they  robbed  the 
store  and  set  fire  to  the  building.  The  smoke  gave 
the  alarm,  but  the  garrison  at  Fort  King  being 
small,  no  assistance  could  be  rendered  them. 

On  the  same  day  (December  28),  and  nearly  the 
same  hour,  Major  F.  L.  Dade,  when  five  miles  from 
Wahoo  Swamp,  was  attacked  while  on  his  way  from 
Fort  Brooke  to  Fort  King.  The  Indians  were 
headed  by  Jumper,  who  had  previously  warned 
those  who  were  cowards  not  to  join  him.  Micanopy, 
their  chief,  who  was  celebrated  for  his  gluttony,  like 
the  Trojan  heroes,  could  eat  a  whole  calf  or  lamb, 
and  then  coil  up  in  a  snake-like  manner  for  diges- 
tion. On  a  previous  occasion,  when  an  appeal  was 
made  to  him  by  the  argument  of  bullet-force,  he 
replied,  "I  will  show  you,"  and  afterward  stationed 
himself  behind  a  pine-tree,  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
the  Fort  Brooke  force,  while  his  warriors  lay  con- 
cealed in  the  high  grass  around  him.  When  Major 
Dade  arrived  opposite  where  the  chief  and  his  men 
were  ambushed,  Micanopy.  in  honor  of  his  position 
as  top  chief,  leveled  his  rifle  and  killed  him  in- 
stantly. Major  Dade  was  shot  through  the  heart, 
and  died  apparently  without  a  struggle.  The  sav- 
ages rushed  from  their  coverts,  when  Captain  Fra- 
zier  was  their  next  victim,  together  with  more  than 
a  hundred  of  his  companions.  Th.e  suddenness  of 


100          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

the  attack,  the  natural  situation  of  the  country, 
with  its  prairies  of  tall  grass,  each  palmetto  thicket 
being  a  fortress  of  security  from  which  they  could 
hurl  their  death-dealing  weapons,  were  all  formid- 
able foes  with  which  the  whites  had  to  contend. 
Within  a  few  hours'  march  of  Fort  King,  under  the 
noonday  splendor  of  a  Florida  sun,  were  one  hun- 
dred and  seven  lifeless  bodies,  which  had  been  sur- 
prised, murdered,  and  scalped,  with  no  quarter,  and 
far  from  the  sound  of  human  sympathy. 

The  night  after  the  "Dade  Massacre"  the  Indians 
returned  to  Wahoo  Swamp  with  the  warm  life-cur- 
rent dripping  from  the  scalps  of  those  they  had 
slain.  These  scalps  were  given  to  Hadjo,  their  Med- 
icine Man,  who  placed  them  on  a  pole  ten  feet  high, 
around  which  they  all  danced,  after  smearing  their 
faces  with  the  blood  of  their  foes,  and  drinking 
freely  of  "fire-water"  One  instance  is  mentioned 
worthy  of  remark,  in  regard  to  finding  Major  Dade's 
men  with  their  personal  property  untouched.  Breast- 
pins of  the  officers  were  on  their  breasts,  watches  in 
their  places,  and  silver  money  in  their  pockets.  They 
took  the  military  coat  of  Major  Dade,  and  some 
clothing  from  his  men,  with  all  the  arms  and  ammu- 
nition, which  proved  thcj'  were  not  fighting  for 
spoils,  but  their  homes.  The  "Bloody  Eight  Hun- 
dred," after  they  had  committed  the  murder,  left 
the  bodies  unburied,  and  without  mutilation,  except 
from  scalping.  They  were  buried  by  the  command 
of  Major-general  Gaines,  who  also  named  this  tragic 
ground  "Field  of  the  Dead." 

Fights  now  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succes- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          101 

sion.  Long-impending  hostilities  burst  upon  the 
white  settlers,  who  in  turn  sought  every  oppor- 
tunity of  gratifying  their  revenge  for  outrages  com- 
mitted. No  person  was  safe  ;  death  lurked  in  every 
place,  and  there  was  security  in  none.  Acts  of  fiend- 
ish barbarity  were  of  common  occurrence;  houses 
burned  —  the  labor  of  years  gone  forever — while 
many  of  the  missing  were  consumed  in  the  flames  of 
their  own  dwellings,  the  savages  dancing  around 

CJ      '  t_7  O 

the  funeral-pile.  The  Indians  appeared  seized  with 
a  kind  of  desperation  which  knew  no  quarter,  and 
asked  for  none,  constantly  posting  themselves  in 
the  most  frequented  highways,  with  the  intention  of 
slaying  or  being  slain. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  same  year,  the  Indians, 
receiving  information  that  the  troops  under  General 
Clinch  were  approaching,  and  would  cross  the 
Withlacoochee,  posted  themselves  at  the  usual  ford- 
ing-place  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  them. 
General  Clinch  was  surprised  by  them,  as  they  had 
greatly  the  advantage,  being  among  the  trees,  while 
the  troops  were  in  an  open  space,  with  only  an  old 
leaky  canoe  to  cross  in,  under  constant  fire  of  the 
enemy,  some  of  them  being  obliged  to  swim.  The 
soldiers  accustomed  to  Indian  warfare  never  forded 
twice  in  the  same  place.  Captain  Ellis,  now  a  wor- 
thy citizen  of  Gainesville,  Florida,  who  commanded 
a  company  during  the  Seminole  war,  being  present 
when  this  attack  was  made,  says:  "I  was  so  much 
afraid  the  war  would  be  over  before  I  had  a  chance 
to  be  in  a  fight,  I  was  glad  when  I  saw  the  Indians 
coming,  but  I  got  enough  fighting  before  it  was 


102          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 
through  with."     When  he  saw  the  savages  at  the 

O  O 

commencement  of  this  engagement,  not  knowing  of 
the  "Massacre,"  he  said,  "Boys,  the  Indians  have 
been  killing  our  men,  for  they  have  got  on  their 
coats." 

Osceola  was  the  prime  leader  in  this  first  battle  ot 
Withlacoochee,  and  although  whole  platoons  were 
leveled  at  him,  from  behind  the  tree  where  he  was 
stationed  he  brought  down  his  man  every  fire 
to  the  number  of  forty,  while  he  ordered  his  war- 
riors not  to  run  from  the  pale  faces,  but  to  fight. 
The  contest  was  a  close  one,  but  General  Clinch 
held  his  ground.  After  the  Indians  retreated  the 
troops  buried  their  dead,  and  built  log-fires  over 
their  remains  to  keep  the  enemy  from  digging  them 
up  and  scalping  them. 

During  September,  1837,  Osceola  sent  in  negotia- 
tions of  peace  to  General  Hernandez  through  an 
envoy,  accompanied  with  presents  of  a  bead  pipe 
and  white  plume,  as  an  assurance  that  the  path  of 
the  pale  face  was  peaceful  and  safe.  General  Her- 
nandez, with  the  sanction  of  General  Jessup,  re- 
timied  presents  and  friendly  messages,  requesting 
the  presence  of  Osceola,  with  the  distinct  under- 
standing that  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  making  ar- 
rangements for  the  immigration  of  his  people.  The 
messenger  returned  in  accordance  to  his  previous 
contract,  reporting  that  Osceola  was  then  on  his 
way  to  St.  Augustine  with  one  hundred  warriors. 
Osceola  had  never  heretofore  regarded  the  sacred- 
ness  of  a  flag  of  truce  as  binding,  besides  being 
engaged  in  the  abduction  of  Micanopy  and  others, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          103 

who  would  otherwise  have  complied  with  the  terms 
of  the  treaty.  General  Jessup  intended  before  his 
arrival  to  have  him  detained.  General  Hernandez, 
who  was  the  soul  of  honor,  remonstrated  with  him, 
when  he  replied,  "I  am  your  superior;  it  is  your 
duty  to  obey."  General  Hernandez  met  them  at 
Fort  Peyton,  near  Pelicier  Creek,  about  seven  miles 
south-west  of  St.  Augustine.  From  the  inquiries 
of  General  Hernandez  in  regard  to  the  other  chiefs 
and  their  locality,  Osceola  soon  comprehended  the 
situation  ;  and  when  asked  for  replies  to  the  Gen- 
eral's questions,  he  said  to  the  interpreter,  "I  feel 
choked;  you  must  speak  for  me."  The  place  where 
they  were  assembled  for  parley  being  surrounded 
by  a  detachment  of  dragoons,  they  closed  in  on 
them,  capturing  the  whole  band  without  firing  a 
gun. 

This  strategy  in  taking  Osceola  did  not  tarnish 
the  laurels  of  General  Jessup  in  the  least;  a  much 
greater  blunder  was  committed  in  turning  him  loose 
after  his  first  capture.  Those  who  have  condemned 
him  must  think  of  the  anxiety  by  day  and  horrors 
at  night  through  which  these  poor  settlers  strug- 
gled, when  time  passed  like  a  bewildering  dream  of 
terrors,  improvement  of  all  kinds  languishing  with 
a  sickly  growth,  while  the  dragon  of  war  sowed  the 
seeds  of  discord,  and  desecrated  the  golden  fleece  of 
the  harvest  with  a  blood}7  hand. 

When  Osceola  was  first  captured  he  was  imprisoned 
in  Fort  Marion,  but  was  afterward  removed  to  Sulli- 
van's Island,  where  his  wife  and  child  accompanied 
him.  He  was  a  sad  prisoner — never  known  to  laugh 


104         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

during'  bis  confinement,  but  often  beard  to  sigh. 
During  bis  last  illness  be  bad  the  best  medical  at- 
tention from  Charleston,  whose  skill  be  refused, 
believing  they  intended  poisoning  him.  To  one  of 
his  wives  he  was  much  attached,  and  his  spirit  passed 
away  while  leaning  on  her  bosom.  He  died  in  1838, 
from  an  inflammation  of  the  throat. 

The  eagle  plumes  droop  o'er  his  piercing  eyes, 
The  fire  of  youth  was  there! 

Osceola  had  always  lived  among  the  Seminoles, 
and  regarded  their  lot  as  his.  The  name  of  his  wife 
was  Checho-ter,  or  Morning  Dew.  She  was  a  Creek, 
and  their  family  consisted  of  four  children.  The 
following  lines  were  composed  after  his  death  by 
one  of  his  friends  in  Charleston : 

The  rich  blue  sky  is  o'er, 

Around  are  tall  green  trees, 
And  the  jasmine's  breath  from  the  everglades 

Is  borne  on  the  wand' ring  breeze. 

On  the  mingled  grass  and  flowers 

Is  a  fierce  and  threat' ning  form, 
That  looks  like  an  eagle  when  pluming  his  wing 

To  brave  the  gat h' ring  storm. 

We  recently  conversed  with  a  missionary  from 
the  Creek  Nation,  who  had  been  preaching  among 
the  Indians  in  that  locality,  who  says  Osceola  has 
two  sisters  living  there,  both  exemplary  Christians, 
upon  whom  the  serpent's  trail  had  evidently  rested 
very  lightly. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          105 


CHAPTER  VII. 


S  we  approach  the  upper  shores  of  the  St. 
John's  River,  extensive  swamp-lands,  over- 
grown with  various  kinds  of  timber,  are 
seen,  where  very  bony-looking  stock  eke 
out  a  spare  subsistence  during  a  portion  of 
the  year,  but  commence  recruiting  as  soon  as  the 
grass  begins  to  grow,  in  February.  Habitations  are 
not  frequent,  the  only  variations  being  mounds,  or 
bluffs,  as  they  are  usually  termed.  Many  of  these 
voiceless  monuments  of  the  mute  past,  around  which 
cluster  records  of  deep  import,  are  found  scattered 
throughout  various  portions  of  Florida,  as  in  many 
other  localities,  furnishing  food  for  the  thoughtful, 
and  conjecture  for  the  inquiring  mind.  All  efforts 
heretofore  made  to  enlighten  the  world,  or  explain 
these  curious  structures,  are  founded  upon  the  diver- 
sity of  opinion  and  research  of  the  different  writers. 
Their  appearance  sheds  sufficient  light  on  the  sub- 
ject for  us  to  know  they  are  the  cemeteries  of  an 
earl}7,  though  partial,  civilization — probably  a  relic 
of  the  Mexican  race  —  from  which  we  may  derive 
illustrations  of  the  habits,  manners,  and  ideas  of  a 
people,  "on  whose  graves  the  firmly-rooted  oak  has 
so  long  kept  its  dominion  that  it  seems  to  the  Indian 
supplanters  to  have  been  the  first  occupant  of  the 
soil." 


106          Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

Although  we  have  no  means  left  us  of  determin- 
ing the  cause  by  which  the  change  was  produced, 
the  day  dawned  on  them  not  less  abruptly  than  that 
of  the  Aztecs  of  Mexico,  or  the  Incas  of  Peru,  when 
their  sacred  tiros  were  extinguished,  their  altars  des- 
ecrated, and  the  "primeval  forest  slowly  resumed  its 
sway  over  the  deserted  temples  and  silent  cities  of 
the  dead,"  thus  leaving  glimpses  of  an  unwritten 
history,  full  of  interest,  even  in  a  tantalizing  form. 
The  remains  of  the  American  mound-builders  are 
replete  with  surprise  for  us,  which  the  magnificence 
of  Montezuma's  capital  throws  in  the  shade;  and, 
while  reading  with  implicit  faith  the  narrative  of 
the  conqueror,  we  cannot  but  think  the  age  of 
America's  infancy  lies  buried  in  these  older  mounds. 
The  chasm  between  these  monumental  mounts  and 
the  present  time  has  never  been  bridged  by  any  his- 
torian, however  well  versed  in  archaeological  rec- 
ords, or  chronological  data  —  except  their  belief  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  body,  which  may  be  inferred 
from  the  careful  manner  in  which  they  disposed  of 
their  friends  after  death. 

It  is  within  the  remembrance  of  some  persons 
still  living  that  tribes  of  Indians  now  extinct  have 

o 

been  seen  passing  through  the  country  on  pilgrim- 
ages to  the  graves  of  their  sires,  where  they  regard 
the  earth  that  entombs  the  dust  of  their  friends  as 
too  sacred  for  any  thing  but  a  shrine.  When  the 
Spanish  invaders  came  to  conquer  Mexico,  they  dis- 
interred the  bones  from  the  mounds,  when  the  In- 
dians entreated  them  to  desist,  "as  their  owners 
would  not  find  them  together  when  they  returned." 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          107 

"Ancestral  veneration  was  a  peculiar  trait  belong- 
ing to  the  aborigines,  which  is  shadowed  with  an 
air  of  melancholy." 

In  these  tumuli  were  deposited  all  the  implements 
which  the  departed  were  supposed  to  require  on 
their  entrance  into  the  unexplored  regions.  Here 
we  find  the  ax  upon  which  months  and  years  had 
been  expended  in  reducing  to  useful  proportions, 
attrition  being  the  only  means  employed;  also  the 
mortar  and  pestle,  to  pound  their  maize;  the  stone 
spear  and  arrow-head,  to  kill  game;  the  bone  fish- 
hook, to  seize  the  astonished  finny  tribe  as  they 
swam  though  the  purling  streams  of  the  newly- 
found  paradise;  the  calumet,  to  be  used  while  com- 
muning face  to  face  with  the  Great  Spirit;  the  pearl 
ornaments,  to  deck  their  persons  in  a  becoming  man- 
ner for  their  new  position;  the  essential  wampum, 
that  no  reflections  could  be  cast  as  to  their  former 
condition  in  life,  as  lacking  the  important  requisite 
to  become  a  member  of  the  elite  society  in  the  "  long- 

*"  O 

fancied  mild  and  beautiful  hunting-grounds." 

Mausoleums  reared  with  many  hands,  inscription- 
less  monuments,  tombs  without  epitaphs!  Whose 
ashes  rest  beneath  your  storm-beaten,  time-scarred 
surfaces?  what  prowess  could  you  boast  beyond 
your  peers?  was  it  the  hand  of  violence  or  disease 
that  severed  the  silver  cord,  and  ushered  you  into 
the  presence  of  the  Great  Spirit?  We  may  con- 
tinue to  question,  but  the  locked  secrets  of  by-gone 
deeds  will  be  borne  on  no  zephyr,  however  soft,  to 
gratify  the  longings  of  those  who  try  to  lift  the 
misty  veil  of  obscurity.  When  searching  for  a  rec- 


108          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

orcl  of  the  architects  of  these  pyramidal  structures, 
we  find  our  mind  drifting  upon  the  quicksands  of 
instability.  That  the  archaeological  history  of  the 
mound-builders  in  America  is  in  its  infancy  cannot 
be  doubted,  although  some  imagine  they  have  probed 
it  to  the  foundation,  as  they  have  stood  where  a  few 
bones,  beads,  and  pottery  were  thrown  out.  Mounds 
are  not  limited  to  America,  but  are  found  in  Europe 
and  Asia,  although  dignified  by  different  titles — as 
barrows,  moat-hills,  and  cairns — all  belonging  to  the 
same  family  as  our  earth-mounds.  The  Indians  say 
that  before  the  "pale  faces"  scattered  them,  they 
had  mounds  erected  for  different  purposes — for  sep- 
ulture, for  sacrifice,  for  signals,  for  refuge  in  war, 
and  the  residence  of  the  cazique.  The  first  and 
most  frequent  of  these  was  for  sepulture.  Homer 
and  Ilesiod  both  speak  of  monumental  mounds  over 
the  graves  of  heroes. 

While  surveying  these  colossal  works,  reared  by 
hands  of  clay,  a  wonder  seizes  our  minds  how  the 
almost  nude  aborigines,  with  so  limited  a  number  of 
implements,  could  collect  so  much  material,  and 
fashion  it  into  any  form  adapted  to  their  necessities. 
It  is  true,  they  had  some  knowledge  of  the  manner 
in  which  stone  could  be  utilized,  as  chert  and  flint 
have  both  been  found  in  the  oldest  earth-works,  sev- 
eral feet  below  the  surface — from  which  also  can  be 
deduced  facts  with  reference  to  their  roving  habits 
of  life,  as  this  formation  does  not  exist  naturally  in 
Florida. 

The  strong  argument  against  Florida  not  having 
been  the  first  location  of  the  inhabitants  who  built 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          109 

these  earth-works,  is  their  tendency  toward  the  West, 
not  being  found  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  showing  the 
course  of  emigration  to  have  been  from  the  West  to 
the  South.  These  structures  also  indicate  strength, 
and  not  the  hasty  work  of  a  nomadic  tribe,  having 
once  been  the  site  of  a  vast  population. 

The  Florida  mounds,  unlike  those  of  the  Mexi- 
cans, bear  no  marks  of  magnificence  or  grandeur, 
but  are  of  gigantic  proportions,  in  consideration  of 
the  appliances  with  which  they  had  to  work,  not 
having  either  plow  or  draft  animals.  They  are  the 
only  records  left  ns  for  determining  the  habits,  occu- 
pation, and  manner  of  living,  of  its  former  residents, 
which,  if  more  enduring,  are  scarcely  less  satisfac- 
tory than  a  foot -print  in  the  sand,  as  a  guide  to  the 
pursuits  and  inclinations  of  its  owner. 

Intrusive  burial  has,  without  doubt,  been  prac- 
ticed in  Florida,  as  mounds  which  have  been  fully 
excavated  furnish  evident  marks  of  burial  at  differ- 
ent periods,  the  lower  strata  having  hardly  a  vestige 
of  ossified  substance,  with  only  a  few  shells  or  stone 
implements  remaining.  The  forest-growth  on  these 
mounds  dates  farther  back  than  the  earliest  settle- 
ment of  America,  but  anterior  to  that  leaves  us  sail- 
ing upon  the  sea  of  conjecture.  Whatever  may  be 
said  in  regard  to  the  aborigines  manifesting  a  natu- 
ral instinctive  downward  tendency  in  the  erection 
of  earth  and  shell,  they  developed  a  different  direc- 
tion— that  of  elevating  their  residences  while  living, 
and  having  their  remains  above  a  common  level 
after  death.  Here  may  not  the  question  be  asked, 
If  the  pyramids  of  the  East,  erected  to  the  memory 


110          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

of  kings,  and  those  of  America  have  not  a  connec- 
tion, or  common  origin?  A  distinguishable  feature 
lias  been  observed  in  regard  to  the  ancient  mound- 
builders,  different  from  the  other  Indians,  in  having 
their  skulls  flattened — only  one  of  which  has  ever 
been  exhumed  whole. 

The  largest  sepulchral  mound  of  which  we  have 
any  knowledge,  on  the  upper  St.  John's,  is  located 
in  the  vicinity  of  New  Smyrna,  containing  the  re- 
mains of  the  Yernassees,  who  were  slain  by  the 
Creeks — a  fierce,  warlike  tribe — they  being  driven 
into  a  point  of  land,  where  they  became  an  easy  prey 
to  their  enemies.  Thirty  of  these  burial-mounds 
were  seen  here  by  Bartram,  more  than  a  century 
since,  covering  an  area  of  two  or  three  acres.  Their 
form  was  oblong,  being  twenty  feet  in  length,  and 
ten  or  twelve  in  width,  varying  from  three  to  four 
in  height,  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  laurels, 
red-bays,  magnolias,  and  live-oaks — all  composing  a 
dark  and  solemn  shade. 

Many  burial-mounds,  three  or  four  feet  in  height, 
can  be  seen  now  in  South  Florida,  as  we  have  been 
present  when  excavations  were  made  in  the  vicinity 
of  Tampa  and  Manatee,  where  beads,  pottery,  and 
well-preserved  tibia  of  both  sexes,  were  dug  out. 
These  bodies  had  been  buried  with  their  heads  all 
toward  a  common  center,  with  the  greatest  regular- 
ity. The  cranium  seems  to  crumble  more  than  any 
other  ossified  portion  of  the  body  —  the  jaw-bones 
being  very  perfect,  teeth  much  worn,  having  be- 
longed to  old  persons  in  whose  service  they  had 
been  employed  for  many  years.  Firmly-rooted  oaks 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          Ill 

of  ancient  date  were  resting  on  these  graves,  and 
spreading  a  mantle  of  green  for  several  feet  around 
them. 

The  large  mound  at  Cedar  Keys,  about  which  so 
much  has  been  said,  has  trees  growing  on  it  of  im- 
mense size,  which  the  winds  and  tempests  of  that 
boisterous  coast  have  rocked  for  five  centuries;  but 
no  one,  however  shrewd  or  learned,  has  ever  been 
able  to  elicit  a  single  historical  event  from  them, 
during  that  lapse  of  years,  their  age  only  being  de- 
termined from  the  rings,  or  exogenous  growth,  of 
their  trunks.  This  mound  is  taller  than  most  of 
those  found  in  Florida,  no  doubt  produced  in  part 
by  the  action  of  the  tides  and  waves  which  have 
washed  the  earth  away  from  the  base.  Solid  mounds 
have  been  opened  which  contained  no  bones,  and, 
on  account  of  their  peculiar  structure,  were  no 
doubt  used  for  sacrifice,  where  human  beings  had 
been  offered,  their  enemies  being  the  victims. 

The  following  is  a  record  taken  from  an  ancient 
Spanish  author  in  regard  to  the  manner  of  sacrifice 
by  an  extinct  tribe  of  Indians:  "They  laid  him  on 
a  great  mound  of  earth,  with  the  sacred  fire  burning 

o  /  o 

at  his  head,  in  a  large  vessel  of  baked  clay,  formed 
with  a  nice  art  by  the  savages,  on  the  outside  of 
which  was  painted  the  mystic  figure,  with  the  bloody 
hand.  His  garments  were  removed,  and  his  limbs 
fastened  separately  to  stakes  driven  in  places  about 
the  mound.  Thus  were  his  hands  and  legs,  his 
body,  and  his  very  neck,  made  fast,  so  that  what- 
ever might  be  the  deed  done  upon  him,  he  was  un- 
able to  oppose  it,  even  in  the  smallest  measure." 


112          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  stupendous  sacrificial  pyramid  of  Cholula, 
bearing  a  resemblance  to  the  Egyptian  structures, 
but  larger,  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  speci- 
men extant.  Its  form,  like  that  of  the  other  Mexi- 
can teocalli,  was  a  truncated  cone.  The  following 
description,  taken  from  Prescott,  will  enable  us  to 
form  an  idea  of  its  gigantic  proportions:  "Its 
greatest  perpendicular  is  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  feet,  the  base  one  thousand  four  hundred  and 
twenty-three  feet  —  twice  the  length  of  the  Cheops 
pyramid — this  temple  being  dedicated  to  the  god  of 
the  air."  High  over  all  rose  this  grand  structure, 
with  its  undying  fires,  flinging  their  radiance  far 
and  wide  around  the  capital,  thus  proclaiming  to 
the  nations  that  there  was  the  mystic  worship.  It 
covered  forty-four  acres  at  its  base,  and  the  plat- 
form on  its  summit  more  than  one  acre.  The  effect, 
when  the  sun  shone  on  these  dazzling  splendors 
with  such  bright  effulgence,  was  the  eclipsing  of 
every  other  object  but  the  reflection  of  the  grand 
luminary  —  which  caused  a  saying  among  the  In- 
dians, that  "gold  was  the  tears  wept  by  the  sun." 
On  these  altars  horrid  deeds  of  darkness  were  per- 
petrated, inhuman  butcheries  enacted,  to  appease 
the  war -god  of  the  Aztecs,  who  was  supposed  to 
delight  in  offerings  of  human  hearts,  torn  fresh 
from  the  helpless  victims,  guilty  of  no  crime  but 
self-defense  against  blood-thirsty  persecutors. 

The  teocalli  found  in  the  City  of  Mexico  was 
unsurpassed  in  grandeur,  but  of  less  dimensions, 
being  three  hundred  feet  square  and  one  hundred 
in  height,  on  the  summit  of  which  was  an  altar  for 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes*          113 

human  sacrifices.  They  ascended  by  flights  of 
steps  on  the  outside,  each  flight  extending  to  a  plat- 
form, which  reached  quite  around  the  structure — 
the  exhibition  of  pageant  on  State  occasions  being 
terribly  imposing,  conducted  by  priests  and  victims, 
marching  around  their  temple,  rising  higher  on  the 
sides  as  the  place  of  inhuman  sacrifice  was  reached, 
amid  the  shouts  of  a  gazing  and  excited  throng. 
Before  each  of  these  altars  burned  the  undying 
flame,  the  vestal  lamp,  whose  pale,  constant  light 
boded  good  while  burning,  but  ill  when  extin- 
guished. 

In  other  parts  of  Mexico  Cortez  found  monuments 
dedicated  to  the  sun  and  moon,  with  lesser  ones  to 
the  stars.  For  many  years  it  had  been  supposed  all 
pyramids  were  hollow,  but  discoveries  have  been 
made  of  some  with  only  a  small  opening,  which, 
like  the  one  in  Egypt,  no  doubt  contained  the  bones 
of  a  king. 

Another  class  of  mounds  held  in  much  veneration 
by  the  early  tribes  of  Florida  Indians  were  the  sa- 
cred mounds,  or  mounts  of  ordinance,  only  used  on 
certain  occasions,  when  the  Medicine  Man,  after 
ablutions  similar  to  those  practiced  by  the  Rabbis 
before  entering  the  temple  to  offer  sacrifices  for  sin, 
ascended  to  commune  with  the  Great  Spirit,  like 
Moses,  the  lawgiver,  on  Sinai.  He  was  always 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  warriors,  whom  he 
took  to  witness  the  descent  of  sacred  fire  which  he 
invoked  and  they  obtained  by  vigorous  efforts  with 
flint  and  steel.  This  ceremony  was  conducted  dur- 
ing the  month  of  July,  when  the  maize,  being  in 
6 


114          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

the  milk,  the  heavenly  fire  was  procured  for  cooking 
that  product,  it  being  held  in  high  esteem  as  their 
chief  article  of  sustenance.  The  Peruvians  pro- 
cured these  fires  by  the  use  of  a  concave  mirror  of 
polished  metal,  the  sacred  flame  being  afterward 
intrusted  to  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun. 

It  was  a  natural  feeling  with  the  Indians  to  wor- 
ship on  "high  places;  "  for  this  reason  temples  were 
built  over  their  dead,  where  they  might  come  to 
give  expression  to  the  reverence  with  which  they 
regarded  the  departed  ones.  Images  for  worship 
were  sometimes  placed  on  the  pinnacle  of  these 
temples,  as  the  one  mentioned  by  De  Soto  near 
Espiritu  Santo  Bay,  upon  which  was  found  a  painted 
wooden  fowl  with  gilded  eyes,  containing  choice 
pearls. 

Near  the  outlet  of  Lake  Harney  was  located  the 
residence  of  King  Philip,  a  Seminole  cazique,  on  a 
shell  plateau  in  rear  of  which  is  a  burial- mount, 
twelve  feet  high,  surrounded  by  a  trench.  The  fol- 
lowing graphic  description,  taken  "from  Professor 
Wyman,  will  enable  us  to  form  an  idea  of  its  ex- 
tent : 

"  This  shell-mound  is  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  length,  with  an  average  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  in  breadth.  It  stretches  nearly  at  right 
angles  to  the  river,  borders  a  lagoon  on  the  south, 
and  on  the  north  merges  into  cultivated  fields,  over 

O  ' 

which  its  materials  have  become  somewhat  scat- 
tered— its  greatest  height  being  about  eight  feet. 
Fragments  of  pottery  may  be  found  anywhere  on 
the  surface,  and  with  these  the  bones  of  various 


Petals  Plucked  from,  Sunny  Climes.         115 

edible  animals.  Excavations  were  made  at  many 
points,  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in  depth,  to 
ascertain  if  similar  objects  were  within  its  interior. 
The  most  unequivocal  evidence  that  this  mound, 
while  in  process  of  erection,  had  been  occupied  by 
the  aborigines  was  obtained  from  a  pit  four  or  five 
feet  in  diameter,  and  from  five  to  six  feet  deep, 
which  was  dug  near  the  center.  Not  only  were 
fragments  of  pots  and  bones  found  at  all  depths,  but 
at  the  distance  of  three  feet  the  remains  of  an  old 
fire-place  were  uncovered,  consisting  of  a  horizontal 
layer  of  charcoal,  beneath  which  were  perfectly  cal- 
cined shells,  and  near  these  others  more  or  less 
blackened  with  heat.  Still  farther  oft'  were  frag- 

O 

ments  of  the  bones  of  deer,  birds,  turtle,  and  fish 
— all  just  as  they  would  naturally  have  been  left 
around  a  fire  where  cooking  had  been  done  for  some 
time.  In  addition  it  maybe  mentioned,  as  a  matter 
of  negative  evidence,  that  not  a  single  article  was 
discovered  which  could  have  been  attributed  to  the 
white  man." 

Near  the  outlet  of  Lake  Jessup  are  the  remains 
of  a  mound  nine  hundred  feet  in  length,  with  an 
average  width  of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and 

O 

fifty  feet.  This  structure  has  been  much  wasted  by 
the  river,  but  originally  it  must  have  been  among 
the  largest  in  the  State.  That  the  Indians  confined 

o 

their  encampments,  or  at  all  events  their  cooking, 
almost  entirely  to  these  mounds,  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  fragments  of  pots  were  found  in  large  quan- 
tities along  the  shore  wherever  the  shells  are  seen 
in  the  bank,  and  not  elsewhere,  though  careful  search 


116          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

was  made  for  them.  Fragments  of  deer- bones, 
turtle,  and  alligator,  were  also  seen.  The  shells 
forming  these  mounds  were  chiefly  paludinas,  or 
fresh-water  snails,  although  unios  and  apellarias  are 
met  with  also. 

Mounds  on  the  sea-shore  are  composed  entirely  of 
marine  shells,  also  containing  clay-ware,  ashes,  and 
charcoal.  On  the  St.  John's,  at  different  times,  and 
by  various  naturalists,  over  fifty  mounds  have  been 
explored,  in  some  of  which  were  seen  human  bones 
having  the  appearance  of  violence.  As  so  few  re- 
mains were  found  during  these  excavations  that  had 
the  appearance  of  being  subjects  of  regular  inter- 
ment, the  question  is  suggested,  What  disposition 
was  made  of  their  dead,  unless  all  the  numerous 
vessels  seen,  which  could  not  have  subserved  for 
cooking,  contained  the  ashes  of  their  friends  which 
had  been  cremated? 

Mounds  have  been  opened  in  various  portions  of 
the  State  abounding  in  fluviatic  muscles  and  clams, 
the  inference  being  that  they  contained  pearls,  and 
for  that  reason  had  been  opened.  These  mounds 
can  be  accounted  for  in  two  ways  —  the  first  and 
most  important:  they  consumed  the  contents  of 
these  shells,  of  which  they  were  very  fond;  the 
last  was  the  necessity  for  elevated  plateaus  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  sudden  inundation  of  streams 
when  they  were  traveling  through  the  country  camp- 
ing, consequently  they  utilized  the  debris  as  a  pre- 
vention against  accidents.  In  their  journeyings 
they  depended  entirely  upon  the  products  of  the 
forest  and  streams  for  sustenance,  and  for  this  rea- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          117 

son  followed  the  water-courses,  stopping,  like  the 
migratory  birds,  wherever  night  overtook  them. 

Many  copper  weapons  of  warfare  have  been  dis- 
covered in  these  earth- works,  the  metal  of  which  wras 
brought  from  the  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  when  the 
Indians  followed  the  great  river  to  the  sea,  three 
thousand  years  ago.  These  faint  traces  of  mechan- 
ical and  architectural  skill  favor  the  idea  of  a  more 
enlightened  race  than  that  which  possessed  the  soil 
when  first  discovered  by  the  Spaniards — a  society 
which,  no  doubt,  sank  amid  storms,  overthrown  and 
shattered  by  unavoidable  catastrophes.  In  Florida 
no  discoveries  have  been  made  which  evidence 
marks  of  a  great  nation,  while  in  Mexico  and  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  south,  they  increase. 

The  Creeks,  Cherokees,  and  Seminoles  all  agree 
in  attributing  the  mounds  of  Florida  to  a  race  ante- 
rior to  their  own,  as  their  traditions  are  handed 
down  "that  they  were  here  when  their  ancestors 
took  possession  of  the  country."  It  is  also  asserted 
that  the  Florida  Indians  formerly  worshiped  the 
sun,  which  fact  has  been  ascertained  by  their  her- 
aldic devices;  also  the  location  of  their  temples  in 
such  a  manner  that  the  first  morning  ray  from  this 
rising  luminary  would  flash  upon  their  sacred  edifice 
— the  Medicine  Man,  or  High-priest,  being  in  at- 
tendance to  present  his  invocations  with  symbolic 
gestures,  whose  mysteries  were  a  sealed  book  to  all 
those  around  him,  but  supposed  to  be  wrell  under- 
stood by  the  Great  Spirit,  whose  favor  they  wished 
to  obtain.  The  Everglade  Indians  now  venerate 
the  moon,  which  can  be  seen  from  the  silver  cres- 


118          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clim.es. 

cent  ornamental  emblems  with  which  they  deck 
their  persons.  Like  the  ancient  Greeks,  they  depos- 
ited the  remains  of  their  dead  in  burial  urns,  the 
difference  being  that  the  Greeks  always  prepared 
the  bodies  by  cineration,  when  the  ashes  only  were 
entombed,  while  the  entire  bodies  of  Indian  chil- 
dren have  been  discovered  in  clay  vases  in  the  Flor- 
ida tumuli.  In  sepulchral  mounds  about  Tampa 
were  discovered  large  quantities  of  the  heaven- 
born  product  called  pearls,  which  created  much 
interest  and  more  cupidity  among  the  Spanish  set- 
tlers than  we  could  well  imagine.  It  is  Pliny  who 
tells  us  that  dew-drops  distilled  from  the  heav- 
ens, or  falling  into  the  mouths  of  oysters,  in  cer- 
tain localities,  were  converted  into  pearls.  The 
Florida  coast  was  looked  upon  by  the  advent- 
urers who  first  landed  here  as  the  long-sought- for 
country  which  contained  these  treasures.  After 
the  arrival  of  De  Soto  on  the  coast  of  Espiritu 
Santo  they  were  welcomed  by  the  Empress,  who 
presented  them  with  pearls  as  the  most  costly  offer- 
ing from  her  domains,  for  which  kindness  these 
cruel  creatures  dragged  her  about  as  a  hostage  for 
their  own  security.  However,  when  an  opportune 
moment  presented  itself,  she  succeeded  in  making 
her  escape,  at  the  same  time  recovering  large 
quantities  of  imperforate  pearls  which  the  Indians 
through  fear  had  permitted  them  to  rob  from  their 
dead.  However  much  evanescent  satisfaction  these 
newly-found  treasures  supplied  them  with,  history 
makes  no  mention  of  Spanish  officials  being  enriched 
by  the  discovery.  The  enormous  size  which  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          119 

fertile  imagination  of  those  explorers  mention  them 
does  not  come  within  the  present  limits  of  these 
precious  gems  of  commerce. 

The  Indians  understood  the  method  of  making 
beads  from  the  conch-shells,  their  novelty  and  deli- 
cate color  attracting  the  Spaniards — the  size  being 
equal  to  an  acorn,  and  larger.  The  natives  per- 
sisted in  boring  the  pearls  with  a  heated  copper 
spindle,  that  they  might  be  worn  as  ornaments  for 
the  neck,  arms,  and  ankles,  which  rendered  them 
valueless  for  other  purposes. 

Pearls  are  frequently  found  now  on  the  south 
coast  of  Florida  the  size  of  an  English  pea,  and  less. 
Some  of  these  are  taken  from  clam-shells  of  immense 
size,  weighing  two  or  three  pounds;  also  found  in 
the  oyster.  These  are  all  opaque,  some  of  them 
slightly  pink,  a  dull  white,  or  the  usual  pearl  color. 
Those  examined  by  connoisseurs  have  never  been 
considered  of  any  positive  value  in  the  manufacture 
of  jewelry.  Both  from  study  and  observation  we 
are  led  to  the  conclusion  that,  whatever  might 
have  been  the  impression  received  by  the  over- 
wrought imaginations  of  the  Castilian  explorers, 
no  pearls  of  great  price,  fed  by  heavenly  dews,  have 
ever  existed  or  been  discovered  on  the  Florida  coast. 

Let  us  now  pause  and  inquire,  Who  were  the 
architects  of  these  earth-works?  What  was  their 
fate?  and  whither  did  they  flee  when  overpowered  ? 
We  have  only  proof  that  a  nation  has  perished, 
leaving  no  record  or  history  but  these  monuments. 
They  must  have  had  some  knowledge  of  engineer- 
ing, or  they  never  could  have  reared  such  enduring, 


120          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clim.es. 

well-proportioned  structures.  While  the  subject 
furnishes  food  for  reflection,  the  dark  curtain  drawn 
over  their  obscure  presence  has  never  been  raised  ; 
however  great  the  effort  made  by  those  who  have 
desired  to  penetrate  their  unyielding  secrets,  the 
key  to  open  these  hidden  mysteries  has  never  been 
found.  Whether  called  tumuli,  plateaus,  or  mounds, 
they  are  objects  of  interest,  in  whatever  locality  they 
may  be  seen,  of  sufficient  importance  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  scientist  when  generations  yet  un- 
born shall  walk  the  earth,  and  vainly  try  to  pierce 
the  portals  of  the  silent  past. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          121 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

•HE  upper  St.  John's  commences  after  we 
pass  Welaka,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Ocklawaha.     Steamers  leave  the  wharf  at 
Jacksonville  daily  for  this  attractive  por- 
tion of  the  country.     An   early  traveler 
thus  speaks  of  the  wild  animals  he  saw  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  State,  also  the  birds  : 

"  The  buffalo,  the  deer,  the  puma,  and  the  wild 
cat;  the  bear,  the  wolf,  the  fox,  the  wandering  otter, 
the  beaver,  the  raccoon,  the  opossum,  and  many 
smaller  animals ;  large  flocks  of  water-fowl,  the 
white  and  great  blue  herons,  and  their  allied  spe- 
cies, in  large  numbers  standing  along  the  shores; 
the  wary  turkey  with  his  brilliant  plumage ;  the 
roseate  spoon-bill,  sometimes  seen,  and  the  fla- 
mingo, once  a  rare  visitor,  but  now  no  longer 
found;  the  wood  ibis,  the  whooping  crane,  whose 
resonant  notes  are  heard  far  and  wide ;  the  stupid 
and  unwary  courlan,  disturbing  sleep  with  its  night- 
long cry;  the  loathsome  buzzard,  circling,  at  times, 
gracefully  among  nobler  birds,  or,  oftener  and  truer 
to  its  nature,  quarreling  with  its  kind  as  it  gluts 
itself  over  disgusting  food ;  also  the  snake-bird,  of 
peculiar  make  and  habit;  the  fish-hawk,  whose 
massive  nests  of  sticks  and  moss  crown  many  a 
dead  and  shattered  cypress;  the  bald  eagle,  soaring 


122          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

in  the  upper  atmosphere, 
or  robbing,  in  mid-air,  the 
fish-hawk  of  its  prize;  the 
migratory  birds,  collect- 
ing in  thousands  for  their 
journey  northward;  the 
alligator,  drifting  lazily 

with  the  current,  or  lying  in   his  muddy  wallow, 
basking  in  the  sun." 

All  of  these  were  seen  during  the  visit  of  Bar- 
tram  the  elder,  which  must  have  made  the  St. 
John's  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  remarkable 
rivers  in  America. 

It  is  now  February,  and  a  soft,  blue  mist  fre- 
quently fringes  the  distant  landscape,  diffusing  it- 
self through  the  atmosphere,  subduing  the  dazzling 
sunlight,  when  the  sky  and  water  appear  to  blend 
in  one  grand  archwa}7,  like  a  half-veiled  beauty 
whose  charms  are  then  most  lovely. 

A  very  happy  family  is  on  board  to-day,  and  the 
lady  has  just  remarked,  "0  we  have  a  house  on 
the  steamer,  taking  it  up  to  Mellonville  for  us  all  to 
live  in!"  She  was  a  genuine  Florida  settler,  who 
could  look  at  the  sand  and  say,  If  it  can  grow  such 
immense  trees  and  big  weeds,  it  can  produce  food 
for  us  all  to  eat. 

On  our  wa}T  we  pass  Lake  George,  eighteen  miles 
long  and  ten  miles  wide,  which  the  Indians  called 
"Little  Ocean,"  on  account  of  the  high,  swift 
waves  that  are  frequently  seen  here,  attributable  to 
the  open  country  by  which  it  is  surrounded. 

Many  other  interesting  places,  where  new  settlers 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          123 

are  constantly  making  improvements,  are  seen  before 
we  arrive  at  Enterprise,  the  terminus  of  navigation 
proper  on  the  river,  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
from  St.  John's  Bar.  A  good  hotel  is  kept  here, 
while  sportsmen  find  the  vicinity  attractive  on  ac- 
count of  the  game  and  good  fishing.  Mellonville, 
on  the  right  bank  of  Lake  Monroe,  was  named  for 
the  brave  Captain  Mellon,  who  was  killed  here 
while  at  his  post  of  duty  during  the  Seminole  war. 
He  was  buried  with  the  only  tribute  he  could  then 
receive:  "A  soldier's  tears  and  a  soldier's  grave." 

Sulphur  springs  are  numerous  on  the  upper  St. 
John's;  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Monroe,  sev- 
eral hundred  yards  in  length,  while  at  its  source 
the  water  bubbles  up  like  a  fountain — a  strong  sul- 
phurous odor  being  perceptible  for  some  distance. 
The  frightened  alligators  that  retire  here  from  their 

O  O 

pursuers  make  terrible  dives  to  hide,  while  in  the 
transparent  waters  fish  are  seen  distinctly  as  though 
going  through  the  air.  All  of  these  upper  lakes 
contain  clear  water,  but  none  of  it  very  deep. 

The  next  waters  are  Lake  Harney  and  Salt  Lake. 
These  are  not  the  head-waters  of  the  St.  John's, 
but  its  source  is  farther  on,  down  deep  in  some  un- 
explored marsh  or  subterranean  fountain.  It  re- 
quires a  little  patience  to  reach  Indian  River,  either 
by  rowing  or  overland,  but  hundreds  of  people  are 
going  there  every  year.  During  the  Florida  war 
the  vicinity  of  Cypress  Swamp  and  this  river  were 
some  of  the  lurking-places  in  which  the  savages  in- 
trenched themselves,  and  from  this  point  kept  mak- 
ing incursions  on  the  white  settlements,  which  filled 


124          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

them  with  constant  terror  for  their  safety.  In  1839 
the  citizens  living  in  Florida  prayed  for  peace,  looked 
and  hoped  for  it.  They  wanted  rest,  that  favorite 
position  of  the  Grecian  sculptor's  statuary,  and 
when  they  thought  it  nearest  then  it  receded  again, 
flitting  on  the  margin  of  their  expectations  like  the 
ignis-fatuus  which  glimmered  through  the  marsh. 
The  Everglades  furnished  a  natural  fortress  for  the 
Indians,  who  were  said  to  have  been  left  there  by 
General  Jessup,  as  though  one  general  was  more  to 
blame  than  another  for  their  presence  and  murder- 
ous conduct.  No  confidence  could  be  placed  in  the 
Indian  promises;  no  security  that  the  settlers  could 
sow  and  harvest;  all  pledges  given  by  them  had 
been  violated,  and  where  should  the  line  of  their 
banishment  be  drawn,  which  would  not  be  crossed 
by  the  murderous  Seminoles,  thirsting  for  human 
gore  ?  Every  person  was  indignant  at  the  farce  en- 
acted by  General  Macomb,  swallowing  it  as  a  sicken- 
ing dose,  or  an  amnesty  with  a  cage  of  tigers.  All 
projects  for  terminating  the  Indian  war  had  failed, 
and  the  wail  of  woe  went  through  the  land,  while 
the  blood  of  murdered  fathers,  mothers,  brothers, 
and  sisters,  cried  for  vengeance.  As  a  supposed 
last  resort,  the  bloodhounds,  which  had  terminated 
the  Jamaica  war,  were  now  sent  for  to  Cuba  by  or- 
der of  General  Call.  The  Indians  waged  a  warfare 
accompanied  with  so  many  irregularities  that  no 
tactician  could  designate  or  describe  its  method  of 
attacks  or  retreats.  To  be  always  in  danger  of  fall- 
ing, but  not  on  the  field,  and  then  being  devoured 
by  vultures,  was  not  sought  for  by  those  who  had 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         125 

dreamed  of  gory  battle-fields,  as  there  was  glory  in 
that.  Affairs  with  the  settlers  had  assumed  so  for- 
midable an  appearance  that  they  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  be  very  scrupulous  about  the  mode  by 
which  the  warfare  should  be  carried  on  against  the 
Seminoles.  Great  horror  was  expressed  in  differ- 
ent portions  of  the  States  on  account  of  the  blood- 
hounds, which  were  going  to  "  eat  the  papooses 
and  squaws — then  taking  the  '  breechless  knaves,' 
whose  tougher  fibers  would  only  be  a  last  resort." 

In  August,  1839,  a  battle  was  fought  on  the  Caloo- 
sahatchee  River,  between  Colonel  Harney  and  the  In- 
dians. All  of  the  troops  were  killed  but  the  colonel 
and  fourteen  men.  Seventeen  daj's  afterward  a  de- 
tachment was  sent  out  by  General  Taylor  to  bury  the 
dead,  when  two  of  the  missing  troops  were  found 
alive.  After  the  fight  they  remained  concealed 
during  the  day  in  a  mangrove  thicket,  and  at  night 
crawled  to  the  margin  of  the  river  and  ate  sea-fid- 
dlers. They  died  soon  after  being  discovered.  An 
Irish  greyhound  was  also  found,  barely  alive,  which 
belonged  to  Colonel  Harney.  He  had  stayed  to 
watch  over  the  remains  of  Major  Dallam,  whose 
body  was  untouched,  although  the  rest  were  much 
mutilated. 

The  following  statement  in  regard  to  the  Big 
Cypress  Swamp  and  its  occupants  in  1841  will,  no 
doubt,  be  an  item  of  unsurpassed  interest  to  those 
wishing  to  penetrate  the  Everglades,  whether  in  im- 
agination or  reality: 

The  commencement  of  this  swamp  is  thirty  or 
forty  miles  south  of  the  Caloosahatchee,  extending 


126          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

within  twenty  miles  of  Lake  Okachobee  to  the 
Gulf.  On  approaching  the  lake  it  terminates  in 
thick  mangrove  bushes,  uninhabitable  for  Indians. 
Between  the  Caloosahatchee  the  country  is  wet  pine 
barren,  with  occasionally  dry  islands.  On  the  south 
it  is  bounded  by  the  Everglades,  through  which  the 
Indians  pass  in  canoes  to  the  great  cooutie-grounds 
on  the  Atlantic,  south  of  the  Miami  River.  This  is 
a  belt  from  five  to  eight  miles  in  width  and  twenty, 
miles  long.  To  travel  directly  through  the  swamp 
to  the  Everglades  from  Fort  Iveas,  which  is  upon 
the  north  margin,  the  distance  is  about  thirty  miles. 
Directly  south  of  the  fort,  in  the  heart  of  the  swamp, 
is  the  council-ground.  South-east  and  south-west 
from  this  are  the  towns  of  the  principal  chiefs, 
Sam  Jones  living  twenty-five  miles  and  the  Prophet 
within  two  miles  of  him.  Trails  communicate  with 
their  towns,  but  none  with  Fort  Keas,  the  Indians 
knowing  that  would  be  the  first  point  to  which  the 
whites  would  come. .  The  entrance  from  the  pine 
barrens  to  the  swamp  is  twenty  miles  farther  south- 
east. Within  the  swamps  are  many  high  pine  islands, 
upon  which  the  villages  are  located,  being  suscepti- 
ble of  cultivation.  Between  them  is  a  cypress  swamp, 
with  water  two  or  three  feet  deep.  Many  have  cul- 
tivated outside  toward  Lake  Thompson,  as  the  fer- 
tility of  soil  and  sun-exposure  insured  better  crops. 
The  first  reliance  of  the  Indians  is  on  their  crop — 
peas,  pumpkins,  corn,  and  beans;  next,  roots,  coou- 
tie,  and  berries.  They  are  now,  in  a  measure,  de- 
prived of  game,  the  powder  being  retained  in  the 
hands  of  their  chiefs  for  defensive  movements. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          127 

When  troops  are  in  the  vicinity,  they  reveal  their 
hiding-place  by  firing  guns,  which,  in  a  country  so 
marshy,  can  be  heard  a  great  distance.  Their  ba- 
bies never  cry  when  the  whites  are  near,  but,  as 
if  by  instinct,  crawl  away  and  hide  in  the  long 
grass  like  partridges.  Fish,  when  the  streams  on 
the  coast  can  be  reached,  afford  them  subsistence, 
but  the  movements  of  the  troops  deprive  them  of 
this  luxury.  Among  them  are  a  large  number  of 
horses,  ponies,  some  hogs,  and  a  few  cattle. 

The  dry  goods  obtained  from  the  massacre  of 
Colonel  Harney's  men,  and  bartered  by  others  who 
obtained  a  large  quantity,  clothe  them  richly  as  they 
desire.  The  specie  has  been  sold,  and  manufactured 
into  head-bands,  breast-plates,  or  gorgets  and  brace- 
lets. Among  those  Indians  I  have  seen  more  rich 
ornaments  than  among  any  other  Indians  in  Flor- 
ida. Even  in  this  murderous  and  lamentable  mas- 
sacre, when  they  all  stood  by  each  other,  shoulder 
to  shoulder,  the  same  avarice  and  selfishness  gov- 
erned their  actions.  No  feeling  of  friendship  binds 
them  to  each  other  but  the  feudatory  of  Sam  Jones 
and  the  necromancy  of  the  Prophet. 

There  is,  no  doubt,  much  cause  of  dissatisfaction 
among  them,  from  which  they  cannot  escape. 
Their  imperious  laws,  if  violated,  is  followed  by 
instant  death,  without  the  benefit  of  judge  or  juiy. 
If  one  of  their  number  evinces  kindness  toward  the 
whites,  the  Prophet  visits  him  or  her,  and,  by  va- 
rious tricks  with  roots,  a  blow-pipe,  and  water,  pro- 
claims the  designs  of  the  individual.  In  some  cases 
instant  death  has  followed. 


128          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  Prophet  is  a  runaway  Creek,  not  fifty  years 
of  age.  He  escaped  from  the  Creek  country  six 
years  ago,  and  relates  a  long  story  of  bad  treatment 
from  the  whites.  He  has  great  influence  over  those 
around  him,  caused  by  his.  making  known  the  ap- 
proach of  troops,  healing  the  sick,  finding  game, 
and  controlling  the  seasons.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
he  has  ever  been  in  battle.  In  a  garrison  so  well 
regulated  as  the  one  over  which  he  presides,  he 
must  be  of  vast  service,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
pretended  ability  to  commune  with  the  Great 
Spirit  who  controls  their  destinies,  but,  for  his 
happy  talent  as  staff-officer,  frequently  feeding  his 
followers  on  faith  in  his  necromancy,  when  other 
troops,  under  similar  circumstances,  might  demand 
"a  more  substantial  article  of  diet."  He  has  suf- 
ficient tact,  as  a  Medicine  Man,  to  convince  his  fol- 
lowers that  he  is,  of  necessity,  a  non-combatant. 

Sam  Jones  is  a  distinguished  Medicine  Man,  be- 
longing to  the  Mikasukie  tribe.  He  has  numbered 
four-score  years,  and,  for  his  age,  is  strong  and  act- 
ive. He  has  great  influence  over  his  adherents, 
who  respect  his  acts  and  obey  his  mandates  with  a 
religious  sense  of  duty.  His  venerable  appearance 
and  bitter  hostility  to  the  whites  have  a  tendency 
to  elevate  him  in  the  estimation  of  his  tribe.  He 
plans  attacks,  fires  the  first  gun,  and  retires  to  at- 
tend the  wounded,  leaving  the  head-warrior  to  fight 
the  battle.  He  instigated  the  attack  on  Fort  Mellon, 
performed  his  duty  as  head-man,  and  retired  to  ex- 
ecute the  kind  offices  of  his  profession.  The  com- 
mand devolved  upon  Wild  Cat,  who  continued  to 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          129 

fight  until  obliged  to  retire  for  want  of  ammuni- 
tion. 

Sam  Jones  says  he  is  advanced  in  years ;  that  his 
hair  is  white  ;  that  Florida  belongs  to  his  kindred  ; 
beneath  its  sands  lie  the  bones  of  his  people.  The 
earth  to  him  is  consecrated ;  he  has  hallowed  it 
with  the  best  blood  of  his  braves,  and  while  his 
heart  beats  he  will  maintain  his  present  position. 
His  people  were  once  numerous  as  the  trees  of  the 
forest;  they  received  and  welcomed  the  white  man, 
who,  in  return  for  kindness,  have,  it  is  true,  ex- 
tended the  apparent  hand  of  friendship,  but  within 
its  grasp  the  glittering  blade  is  clutched;  dark 
stains  are  upon  it,  dyed  by  the  blood  of  his  chil- 
dren, who  are  now  roaming  abroad  in  the  land  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  calling  upon  him  to  avenge  them. 
"  I  am  now  old ;  'in  a  few  more  moons  I  shall  set  out 
on  the  long  journey  ;  but  I  will  not  desert  the  land  of 
my  fathers.  Here  I  was  born,  and  here  I  will  die !  " 

The  hanging  of  Chekika  and  other  Indians  by 
Colonel  Harney  aroused  the  anger  of  the  chiefs,  who 
have  declared  hostility  and  savage  brutality  to  any 
white  man  that  came  within  their  reach.  Chekika 
was  captured  after  being  pursued  through  the 
grass-water  until  exhausted.  He  was  six  feet  high, 
and  weighed  over  two  hundred  pounds;  considered 
the  strongest  man  of  his  tribe.  "We,"  said  Sam 
Jones,  "give  them  a  decent  death.  We  shoot 
them,  or  quietly  beat  out  their  brains  with  a  pine- 
knot;  never  hanging  them  like  dogs."  The  In- 
dians which  Colonel  Harney's  men  left  suspended 
were  taken  down  by  Sam  Jones's  men  and  buried. 


130          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  Cypress  band  is  composed  of  the  reckless, 
unbending  spirits  of  the  Seminoles,  Mikasukie,  and 
Creek  tribes.  The  Mikasukie  are  the  most  numer- 
ous. They  now  mingle  more  harmoniously  than 
at  any  previous  period  of  their  history,  and  wil- 
lingly accept  all  others  who  will  subscribe  to  their 
laws,  and  believe  in  Sam  Jones  as  a  wise  man,  doc- 
tor, and  prophet — one  who  holds  communion  with 
invisible  things,  and  controls  their  destinies.  He  is 
a  skillful  navigator  of  the  Everglades;  goes  from 
the  Cypress  to  the  Atlantic  in  four  days;  knows  all 
the  great  passages,  and  cultivates  in  their  vicinity. 
He  bestows  blessings  similar  to  the  patriarchs.  He 
has  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  warriors. 

Persons  prowling  through  the  Big  Cypress  Swamp 
in  search  of  pleasure  will  have  some  conception  of 
the  perils  through  which  soldiers  in  search  of  In- 
dians had  to  pass. 

"Dec.  23, 1841. — The  command  under  Major  Belk- 
nap  has  just  returned  from  a  scout  of  seven  days' 
duration  in  the  swamps  of  the  Big  Cypress.  The 
column  was  attacked  by  the  foe  on  the  20th,  who 
ambuscaded  the  trail  on  which  it  was  advancing,  in 
a  cypress  swamp  two  feet  deep  with  water,  when  two 
men  of  the  advance-guard  were  instantly  killed. 
The  Indians,  as  usual,  fled  immediately  beyond  our 
reach.  The  camps  of  the  hostiles  were  near,  and 
still  smoking  with  their  fires.  They  would,  no 
doubt,  have  been  surprised  and  captured,  but  for 
the  stupidity  of  a  flanker,  who,  being  lost  a  few 
hours  before,  discharged  his  musket  repeatedly — 
thus  alarming  the  enemy,  only  two  or  three  miles 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          131 

distant.  The  result  of  this  scout  lias  been,  how- 
ever, most  important,  in  pointing  out  the  hitherto 
mysterious  position  of  the  Prophet  and  his  party, 
which  enables  us  to  entertain  hopes  that  our  forces 
may  yet  scour  that  country,  so  as  to  render  their 
submission  certain,  even  if  they  should  fail  in  any 
attempt  to  surprise  them.  They  have  been  trailed 
to  their  most  favorite  and  secret  fastnesses,  and 
should  now  be  soon  harassed  into  submission.  It 
is  the  belief  of  all,  including  some  who  have  seen 
the  most  arduous  service  in  Florida,  that  no  march 
in  this  Territory  has  been  attended  with  equal,  or, 
at  least,  greater,  severity  than  this.  All  pack- 
mules  being  left  behind,  officers  as  well  as  men 
carried  their  rations  on  their  backs.  The  move- 
ments of  the  troops  were  amphibious  rather  than 
otherwise — marching  in  mud  and  water  more  than 
knee-deep  from  morning  till  night.  The  character 
given  to  this  marvelous  region  of  countiy  has  not 
been  exaggerated,  so  far  as  the  condition  of  its 
swamps  is  concerned.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  of 
a  region  more  admirably  calculated  for  conceal- 
ment than  such  a  mass  of  dense  hummocks  and 
seemingly  impenetrable  swamps.  Some  of  these 
waters  have  a  perceptible  current,  thus  being  the 
heads  of  streams  rather  than  swamps.  The  ax  of 
the  pioneer  would  never  be  attracted  to  this  wet 
and  mud-encircled  region,  and  it  may  be  fairly  pre- 
sumed that,  so  far  as  a  knowledge  of  its  topography 
is  concerned,  war  has  done  more  to  expose  it  to  our 
gaze  than  civilization  would  have  accomplished  in  a 
century." 


132          Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

Indian  River. — The  following  letter,  dated  Indian 
River,  July  3,  1843,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  impres- 
sions received  by  tourists  from  this  river  over  thirty 
years  since — coming  to  this  place  then  being  an  en- 
terprise of  too  much  magnitude  for  any  one  to  un- 
dertake but  well-armed  soldiers : 

"  This  noble  sheet  of  water  is  now  constantly 
whitened  by  the  sail  of  the  emigrant  in  pursuit  of 
land,  and  the  stillness  of  its  solitude  broken  by  the 
splash  of  the  oar,  echoed  by  the  merry  songs  of 
boatmen.  At  night  the  camp-fires  of  the  adven- 
turers are  kindled  on  its  banks,  after  which  prepar- 
ation is  made  for  the  evening  repast,  when,  amid 
conversation  and  laughing,  the  toils  of  the  day  are 
lost  in  sleep.  Refreshment  ensues,  and  the  morn- 
ing finds  them  on  their  way,  vigorous  in  frame  and 
sanguine  in  spirit.  Game  abounds  on  its  banks — 
the  deer  break  through  the  thick  growth  on  the 
margin  of  the  river,  and  gaze  with  wonder  at  the 
visitors;  the  curlews  give  their  short  whistle  and 
wing  their  way  from  the  near  approach  of  the  in- 
truders ;  the  wild  ducks,  quietly  feasting  on  the 
grass,  take  note  of  your  approach,  perhaps,  to  a 
place  of  greater  security.  Splash,  splash  goes  the 
water.  That 's  a  mullet  jumping  at  the  prospect  of 
being  caught  by  us,  or  perhaps  exerting  its  utmost 
activity  to  escape  a  hungry  bass.  If  you  are  fur- 
nished with  a  harpoon  or  barbed  piece  of  iron,  you 
can  have  a  fine  supply  of  fresh  fish  every  day  dur- 
ing your  voyage.  Oysters  are  the  staple  of  the 
stream,  the  banks  being  as  numerous  as  though  an 
improvident  Legislature  had  created  them,  although 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          133 

they  never  suspend  payment  or  protest  a  draft  for 
want  of  funds.  The  lands  north  and  south  of  Fort 
Pierce  are  rapidly  filling  up,  and  thus  far,  with  the 
exposure  of  boating,  felling  timber,  planting,  and 
the  thousand  troubles  of  an  emigrant's  life,  the 
best  of  health  is  enjoyed  by  all.  Doctors  are  at  a 
discount,  and  among  the  least  useful  things  on  the 
river." 

Among  other  local  peculiarities  found  near  the 
Indian  River  is  a  kind  of  shell-sand,  which  hardens 
by  exposure.  The  following  is  an  interesting  state- 
ment, made  by  a  member  of  the  engineer  corps,  who 
visited  there  in  1858:  "While  we  were  surveying  a 
point  between  the  St.  John's,  near  Lake  Harney, 
and  Indian  River,  when  watching  the  excavation  of 
one  of  these  pits,  I  carefully  rolled  a  ball  together 
from  what  appeared  to  be  sand  taken  from  the  pit, 
and  then  threw  it  on  the  grass.  Upon  examination 
a  few  hours  afterward,  it  was  found  to  be  extremely 
hard,  and  the  surface  covered  with  those  minute 
shells,  which  is  the  principal  component  of  the  co- 
quina-rock.  Between  Musquito  Lagoon  and  Indian 
River  there  is  a  small  artificial  canal  cut  through  the 
coquina,  the  portion  exposed  being  very  hard,  while 
the  submerged  part  is  crumbling  into  sand." 

It  is  an  established  fact  that  certain  localities  on 
the  coast  of  Florida  contain  sand  which  concretes 
when  exposed  £Q  the  atmosphere.  What  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  this  cement  contain  no  one  has  sat- 
isfactorily determined.  It  is  certain  all  localities  do 
not  possess  the  same  kinds  of  sand. 

The  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Indian  River  will  pro- 


134          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes. 

duce  bananas,  pine -apples,  oranges,  sugar-cane, 
lemons,  limes,  strawberries,  blackberries,  grass, 
corn,  indigo,  sweet  potatoes,  garden  vegetables,  and 
tomato-vines  that  bear  for  three  years,  and  bird  pep- 
per-plants which  will  grow  into  little  trees,  bearing 
all  the  time. 

Hunters  live  well  here  on  the  wild  game,  while 
those  in  the  first  stages  of  consumption  almost  inva- 
riably fatten  and  recover  on  the  diet  and  atmosphere 
combined.  The  following  is  a  favorite  dish :  Take  a 
fresh  fish,  without  dressing;  wrap  in  a  damp  paper; 
then  place  in  the  hot  ashes;  when  cooked,  pull  off 
the  skin  while  warm;  season  and  eat.  It  is  better 
than  cod-liver  oil,  and  can  be  swallowed  without  any 
winding  up  of  the  courage  whatever,  previous  to 
making  the  attack. 

Is  it  not  pleasant  for  those  who  can,  whether  in- 
valids or  not,  to  spend  a  part  of  their  winters,  at 
least,  in  this  portion  of  the  State,  where  we  are 
surrounded  by  trees  clothed  in  perpetual  verdure, 
loaded  with  native  fruits,  to  refresh  us  when  wearied 
with  sight- seeing,  and  sated  with  tales  of  the  mar- 
velous, with  which  this  country  abounds  ?  It  is  from 
association  with  scenes  like  these  that  a  new  im- 
pulse is  given  to  our  thoughts,  which  confinement 
within  brick  walls,  with  the  smoke  and  changing 
temperature  of  coal-fires,  cannot  furnish.  There  is 
nothing  like  the  soothing  influences  connected  w7ith 
letting  our  thoughts  wander  away  with  our  eyes 
among  the  light,  vapory  clouds,  that  flit  across  the 
sky  like  floating  islands,  while  we  are  inhaling  an 
atmosphere  soft  as  the  dream  of  childhood's  inno- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          135 

cence,  that  can  warm  and  stimulate  vegetation  into 
maturity  at  all  seasons. 

Tourists  who  go  up  the  St.  John's  River,  on  re- 
turning always  bring  back  something  in  accordance 
with  their  varied  tastes.  Imagine  yourself  a  passen- 
ger on  the  Hattie  Barker,  a  steamer  of  somewhat 
smaller  dimensions  than  the  Great  Eastern,  which 
can  do  more  traveling  in  the  way  of  making  a  fuss 
than  any  boat  on  the  river,  her  progress  being  never 
less  than  four  miles  an  hour.  All  kinds  of  travelers 
are  returning  from  the  upper  St.  John's — those  who 
have  trodden  the  wine-press  of  bitterness  with  suf- 
fering, and  some  who  have  sailed  over  the  summer 
sea  of  life  without  a  ripple.  Prompted  by  the  im- 
pulses which  induce  all  tourists  to  bring  something 
back  when  they  return  home,  a  quantity  of  curiosi- 
ties sufficient  to  start  a  small  museum  has  been  ob- 
tained. No  small  steamer  could  ever  have  con- 
tained a  larger  number  of  tourists,  with  a  greater 
diversity  of  tastes.  Here  is  the  sick  man,  with  his 
nervous  system,  sensitive  as  the  mimosa,  who  shrinks 
at  the  slightest  harsh  sound,  and  continues  scolding 
about  "such  a  crowd  on  the  boat,"  as  though  some 
of  them  should  have  remained  that  he  might  have 
more  room  to  fret  and  scold  at  his  patient  wife. 
Then  there  come  the  father  and  mother,  with  four 
little  boys  and  two  girls,  besides  the  tiny  baby  and 
two  nurses.  How  they  rush  about  their  limited 
boundaries!  What  a  restless  family  of  children, 
with  the  ruddy  glow  of  health,  keeping  the  parents 
and  nurses  in  a  constant  state  of  trepidation  for  fear 
they  will  fall  into  the  water!  This  family  has  no 


136         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

curiosities.  With  a  long  journey  to  their  home  in 
Canada  before  them,  their  hearts  are  full  without 
other  incumbrances.  Two  ladies  sitting  near  us 
have  a  chameleon  in  a  pickle-jar;  one  of  them  is 
catching  flies  for  its  dinner.  What  a  pleasure  it  ap- 
pears to  give  them  when,  darting  out  its  coral-col- 
ored tongue,  and  winking  its  bright  eyes,  it  gobbles 
them  up  so  quickly !  There  is  a  lad,  with  two  young 
alligators,  who  persists  in  taking  water  from  the 
ice -cooler,  to  pour  on  them  for  fear  they  might 
die.  The  stewardess  is  on  the  alert  to  thwart  his 
movements,  by  telling  him,  "Dat  cooler-water  is  for 
de  folks,  and  not  dem  ole  black  'gaitors."  The  lad 
retorts  by  saying  the  water  isn't  clean.  The  stew- 
ardess says,  "Yes,  'tis  only  a  few  settlements  in  de 
bottom."  A  sound  comes  from  one  of  the  state- 
rooms, which  is  unmistakably  made  by  young  tur- 
keys going  North,  in  March.  How  the  keen  winds 
up  there  will  pierce  their  downy  coats!  They  had 
better  save  their  voices  for  the  cries  they  will  have 
to  utter  then.  The  ornithologist  is  also  represented, 
with  his  stuffed  birds,  having  a  flamingo,  a  plume- 
crane,  an  owl,  eagle,  and  living  red-bird.  Another 
has  paroquets,  which  he  imagines,  by  some  myste- 
rious manipulations,  can  be  made  to  talk  like  a 
South  American  parrot.  One  man,  from  Indian 
River,  has  an  immense  pelican,  with  an  enormous 
flat  bill,  below  which  is  a  pouch  attached,  contain- 
ing its  rations.  Some  of  the  anxious  mothers  have 
heard  it  eats  children.  What  terrible  looks  they 
give  this  poor  fellow  with  the  big  bird,  who  appears 
so  happy  in  the  possession  of  his  newly-found  treas- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         137 

nre,  because  to  him  it  is  so  remarkably  curious! 
Another  has  a  blue  crane,  belonging  to  the  order 
Grus  cinerea,  standing  erect  on  its  stilts,  showing 
fight.  How  it  snaps  every  thing  which  approaches 
it,  like  some  crabbed  people  in  the  world !  A  young 
man  has  a  slender,  not  grown,  animal,  which  he  in- 
forms us  is  a  Cervus  Virginius,  or  fawn,  that  he  pro- 
poses taking  to  a  friend.  Among  the  number  is  an 
archeeologist,  who  has  been  exploring  the  mounds  of 
Florida,  and  procured  a  trophy  from  the  recesses  of 
a  long-since  departed  Indian's  grave.  It  is  a  stone 
hatchet,  which  was  designed  to  hew  trees  and  make 
boats,  that  the  deceased  might  move  not  only  with 
unrestrained  freedom  through  the  lands  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  but  also  across  his  pure  streams.  The  most 
entertaining  and  original  tourist  of  all  is  an  unmis- 
takable Dutchman,  from  Indiana,  born  on  the  River 
Rhine.  He  is  a  "bugologist,"  or  beetle- gatherer. 
Hard -backed  bugs  and  fresh -water  shells  are  his 
hobby.  He  has  collected  and  sent  a  barrel  of  speci- 
mens home  in  advance  of  him,  and  now  he  is  carry- 
ing a  big  box,  strapped  tightly  with  the  same  care  as  a 
returned  miner  would  his  nuggets  of  gold.  For  our 
amusement  he  opened  his  treasure-box.  The  toilet 
articles  of  no  lady  were  ever  arranged  with  more  care. 
Shells  odorous  with  the  remains  of  their  former  ten- 
ants, wrapped  in  cotton  and  tissue-paper,  bugs  and 
beetles  with  alcohol  on  them,  or  fastened  to  a  card 
with  long,  tiny  pins  made  for  that  purpose,  and,  last 
of  all,  a  quinine-bottle  in  his  pocket,  in  readiness  to 
capture  any  stray  bug  that  might  happen  to  be  out 
on  an  excursion.  Numerous  cages,  containing  young 
7 


138          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

mocking-birds  and  red -birds,  are  sitting  around, 
while  the  tables  are  piled  with  palmetto,  air-plants, 
and  American  pitcher-plants.  Every  available  space 
is  occupied  —  baskets  stuft'ed  with  oranges,  lemons, 
and  grape-fruit,  while  gray  moss  fills  the  interstices. 

Many  of  the  best  people  in  our  country  are  found 
traveling  over  Florida  during  the  winter  —  some 
looking  for  homes,  and  others  only  pleasure-seek- 
ing, a  few  for  health. 

The  number  of  old  people  with  whom  we  meet 
while  traveling  here  is  quite  remarkable.  Some 
have  sweet,  sunny  faces;  others  look  as  though  life 
had  been  a  continued  struggle  with  them  until  now, 
when  their  solicitude  was  on  the  qui  vive  for  fear 
they  should  get  in  behind  time,  or  some  impending 
danger  might  befall  them,  they  do  not  exactly  know 
what. 

The  indefatigable  sportsman  in  Florida  is  ubiqui- 
tous: "With  gun  in  hand,  he  is  constantly  watching 
for  game.  If  many  a  bird  at  which  he  aims  flies 
away  unharmed,  the  excitement  of  shooting  with 
unrestrained  freedom  appears  to  give  satisfaction, 
if  nothing  is  killed. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          139 


CHAPTER  IX. 


]Sr  coming  down  the  river,  we  land  on  the 
east  bank  at  Tocoi,  for  St.  Augustine. 
There  are  no  hotels  here,  as  the  cars  al- 
ways make  close  connection  with  the  daily 
line  of  boats  for  the  ancient  city.  Much 
ink  and  paper  has  been  wasted  about  this  unpreten- 
tious town  on  account  of  its  unattractive  appear- 
ance; but  it  is  only  a  starting-point  for  St.  Angus- 
tine,  this  point  being  more  on  an  air-line  than  any 
other  place  on  the  river. 

The  distance  to  St.  Augustine  is  fifteen  miles,  the 
scenery  along  the  route  varied,  being  interspersed 
with  long-leafed  pines,  hummock-  lands,  with  its 
heavy  undergrowth,  live-oaks,  and  wild  orange- 
trees;  the  cypress,  trimmed  with  its  crisping,  curl- 
ing, waving  gray  whiskers,  swinging  and  dancing  in 
the  sunlight  of  noonday,  or  resting  in  the  somber 
shades  of  night,  thus  giving  that  grace  and  beauty 
to  the  landscape  wrhich  is  only  seen  in  our  Sunny 
South. 

A  short  ride  on  the  railroad  enables  us  to  see  the 
country;  and  what  mistakes  some  settlers  make  in 
planting  orange-trees  on  hummock-lands  without 
proper  drainage,  where  the  poor  strangers,  being 
neither  amphibious  nor  aquatic,  droop  and  die  from 
wet  feet  ! 


140          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Travelers,  who  imagine  themselves  greatly  incon- 
venienced, and  have  so  much  to  complain  about  for 
more  profitable  employment,  after  riding  in  the 
pleasant  steam-cars  from  Tocoi  to  St.  Augustine, 
will  peruse  the  following,  from  which  they  can  form 
some  idea  of  the  contrast  within  forty  years  in  Flor- 
ida: 

"December,  1840— Notice  to  Travelers— St.  Au- 
gustine and  Picolata  Stage. — The  subscriber  has 
commenced  runnino;  a  comfortable  carriage  between 

o  o 

St.  Augustine  and  Picolata  twice  a  week.  A  mili- 
tary escort  will  always  accompany  the  stage  going 
and  returning.  Fare  each  way  live  dollars.  The 
subscriber  assures  those  who  may  patronize  this 
undertaking  that  his  horses  are  strong  and  sound, 
his  carriages  commodious  and  comfortable;  that 
none  but  careful  and  sober  drivers  will  be  employed  ; 
also  every  attention  paid  to  their  comfort  and  con- 
venience. Passengers  will  be  called  for  when  the 
escort  is  about  leaving  the  city." 

We  have  selected  from  among  the  many,  one  of 
the  atrocious  acts  of  violence  committed  by  the  sav- 
ages previous  to  this  arrangement,  upon  a  worthy 
and  respected  citizen,  Dr.  Philip  Weedman,  whose 
three  most  estimable  daughters  are  still  living  in  St. 
Augustine: 

"  November  25, 1839.— Shortly  after  the  mail-wag- 
on left  the  city,  Dr.  Philip  Weedman,  sr.,  accompanied 
by  his  little  son,  a  lad  about  twelve  years  of  age,  both 
in  an  open  wagon,  with  Mr.  II.  Groves  on  horseback, 
left  also  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  his  former  resi- 
dence, now  occupied  as  a  garrison  by  a  part  of  Captain 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          141 

Mickler's  company.  On  arriving  at  the  commence- 
ment of  Long  Swamp,  without  any  previous  warn- 
ing, he  was  tired  upon  and  killed,  having  received 
two  balls  in  his  breast;  his  little  son  was  wounded 
in  the  head,  baring  his  brain;  also  cut  with  a  knife. 
The  mutilated  youth,  with  the  remains  of  the  dead 
father,  were  brought  in  town  to-day.  The  express, 
returning  for  medical  aid,  caused  the  Indians  to  run, 
as  the  wagon  containing  the  mail  was  fired  into, 
wounding  Captain  Searle,  and  killing  a  Polauder 
who  was  riding  horseback." 

"  Tuesday,  November  26,  1839.— The  funeral  of 
Dr.  Philip  Weedman  took  place  to-day,  attended  by 
all  of  our  citizens,  who  sympathize  deeply  with  his 
numerous  family." 

The  Polander,  Mr.  Possenantzky,  was  buried  the 
same  day  according  to  the  Hebrew  form.  The  In- 
dians continued  firing  on  the  covered  wagon-trains, 
calling  them  "cloth  houses,"  their  object  being  to 
obtain  supplies,  when  a  proposition  was  made  to 
have  fortified  wagons.  Hostile  Indians  were  some- 
thing which  could  not  be  worked  by  any  rules;  they 
were  the  exceptions. 

On  Saturday,  February  15,  1840,  we  find  a  record 
of  two  mail -carriers  having  been  murdered,  one 
seven  and  the  other  nine  miles  distant — G.  W. 
Walton,  from  South  Carolina,  while  on  his  way 
to  Jacksonville,  and  Mr.  J.  Garcias,  near  Live  Oak 
Camp.  The  letters  were  undisturbed,  although  car- 
ried some  distance.  Both  of  the  murdered  young 
men  were  buried  in  St.  Augustine.  Afterward  the 
mail  was  accompanied  by  an  escort  of  five  "men. 


142          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

We  have  tried  to  hold  up  some  cause  with  the  sem- 
blance of  a  shade  to  delude  us  into  the  belief  that 
the  Indians  have  less  activity  and  enterprise  than 
the  white  men,  but  facts  stand  forward  in  bold  relief 
denj'ing  us  even  the  poor  consolation  which  such 
delusions  might  afford  us.  The  lifeless  bodies  of 
our  brethren  speak  trumpet -tongued  in  favor  of 
their  removal,  and  the  wail  of  hearts  blighted  by 
their  successes  is  stronger  and  more  piercing  than 
the  fictitious  surroundings  of  excited  fancies. 

Here  is  another  thrust  at  the  bloodhounds: 

"  These  distinguished  auxiliaries  have  received 
more  attention  than  their  services  deserve,  while 
great  apprehension  fills  the  minds  of  many  for  fear 
they  should  perchance  bite  a  Seminole.  We  would 
state  as  a  quietus  that  a  competent  tooth-drawer  will 
accompany  them,  entering  upon  his  dental  duties 
very  soon." 

Another  shocking  murder  occurred  between  Pico- 
lata  and  St.  Augustine,  before  the  St.  John's  Rail- 
road was  surveyed  between  Tocoi  and  St.  Augustine. 

"  May  29,  1840. — On  Friday  last  a  carriage  and 
wagon  had  been  obtained  to  proceed  to  Picolata, 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  in  some  baggage  and 
gentlemen  connected  with  the  theatrical  company  of 
W.  C.  Forbes,  from  Savannah.  Leaving  Picolata  on 
Saturday  morning,  May  23,  in  addition  to  their  own 
party  they  were  joined  by  Messrs.  D.  G.  Yose,  of  New 
York,  and  Miller,  of  Brunswick,  who  all  reached 
the  eleven  -  mile  military  post  in  safety.  When 
within  seven  miles  of  St.  Augustine  they  were  fired 
upon  by  Indians,  severely  wounding  Vose,  Miller, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          143 

and  Wigger,  a  young  German  musician.  While 
this  work  of  death  was  going  on,  a  wagon  which 
had  left  the  barracks  that  morning  was  seen  ap- 
proaching. It  contained  three  persons  besides  the 
driver — Mr.  Francis  Medicis,  of  St.  Augustine,  Mr. 
A.  Ball,  and  Mr.  Beaufort.  The  Indians  fired  upon 
them  near  the  six-mile  post,  when  Mr.  Beaufort  and 
the  driver  escaped.  The  mules  ran  away  with  the 
wagon.  The  firing  being  heard  at  the  little  garri- 
son of  seven  men,  they  turned  out,  when  they  saw 
distinctly  twenty  Indians.  N~ews  having  been  re- 
ceived in  town  by  a  lad  coming  in  on  one  of  the 
horses,  a  party  of  gentlemen  repaired  thither.  On 
reaching  the  ground,  there  lay  Mr.  Ball  dead,  while 
farther  on  was  the  body  of  Mr.  Medicis,  lying  on 
his  side,  his  hands  clenched,  as  if  in  the  attitude  of 
supplication,  his  right  shirt-sleeve  burned  with  pow- 
der, and  his  face  covered  with  blood.  Mr.  Francis 
Medicis  was  murdered  the  23d  of  May,  1840,  be- 
tween the  hours  of  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock.  The 
bodies  of  Messrs.  Medicis,  Ball,  Vose,  and  Miller, 
were  brought  in  at  dusk,  that  of  Mr.  Miller  about 
nine  o'clock.  The  bodies  of  the  strangers  were 
placed  in  the  Council  Chamber.  Mr.  Forbes  and 
his  company  passed  over  the  Picolata  road  on  the 
22d  of  May,  except  Messrs.  Wigger,  German,  and 
Thomas  A.  Line.  Mr.  Wigger  was  murdered. 
Thomas  A.  Line  hid  himself  in  a  swamp,  sinking 
up  to  his  neck,  and  covering  his  face  with  a  barnet- 
leaf,  which  he  raised,  to  the  great  surprise  of  his 
companions,  when  they  were  searching  for  the  sur- 
vivors and  gathering  up  the  wounded." 


144          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  old  citizens  in  St.  Augustine  now  say  that 
when  Mr.  German,  vocalist,  one  of  the  theatricals, 
arrived  in  the  city  after  his  escape,  his  hair  was 
standing  perfectly  erect  on  his  head,  and  in  twenty- 
four  hours  turned  entirely  white.  As  the  Indians 
rifled  the  baggage-wagon,  they  carried  oft'  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  the  stage-dresses  and  other  para- 
phernalia. 

Now,  we  can  peruse  these  tragic  events  as  the 
vision  of  some  wild  romancer,  or  relate  them  to 
children  as  nursery  tales,  partaking  enough  of  the 
terrible  to  excite  a  desire  for  the  wonderful.  Wea- 
ried with  waiting,  and  heart-sick  of  bloody  murders, 
we  find  the  following  piece  of  composition  written 
on  this  solemn  occasion: 

"  How  long  shall  the  earth  drink  the  blood  of  our 
women  and  children,  and  the  soil  be  dyed  with  the 
ebbing  life  of  manhood  ?  Could  they  have  looked 
with  us  upon  the  mangled  corpses  of  Indian  wrath, 
as  they  were  laid  upon  the  public  highway,  or  gone 
to  the  council-room  and  surveyed  on  its  table,  where 
side  by  side  the  marble  forms  of  four  men  lay,  who 
a  few  hours  before  were  looking  to  the  future  as 
filled  with  bright  enjoyment,  they  would  then  have 
whistled  their  philanthropy  to  the  winds,  and  cried 
aloud  for  vengeance.  That  was  a  sight  never  to  be 
forgotten.  We  have  seen  men  killed  in  battle,  and 
perish  by  disease  on  the  ocean,  but  amid  the  many 
affecting  and  unpleasant  incidents  that  have  met  our 
gaze  we  have  never  seen  a  spectacle  like  that.  Here 
in  the  rigidity  of  death  lay  the  youthful  German,  on 
whom  manhood  had  just  dawned;  also  the  compact 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          145 

forms  of  muscular  health,  with  the  less  vigorous 
frames  of  more  advanced  years.  A  casual  glance 
might  mistake  it  for  a  mimic  scene,  where  Art  had 
exhausted  her  powers  in  its  production.  But  there 
was  the  pallid  hue  of  faces;  there  was  the  gash  the 
knife  had  made  in  its  course  to  the  heart;  the  cleft 
forehead  parted  by  the  tomahawk  in  its  descent  to 
the  brain;  and  there  the  silent  drop,  dropping  of 
crimson  fluid  to  the  floor — while  our  Secretary,  with 
his  usual  imbecility,  issues  orders  to  'muzzle  the 
bloodhounds.'  The  funerals  of  these  unfortunate 
victims  took  place  on  Sunda}r,  attended  by  a  large 
concourse  of  people,  who  expressed  the  keenest  in- 
dignation at  the  repetition  of  such  a  scene  so  near 
our  city.  Wild  Cat  was  the  feader  of  this  band,  as 
he  stopped  afterward  at  the  plantation  of  E.  S. 
Jenckes,  Esq.,  and  told  the  servants  he  had  com- 
mitted the  murder." 

The  troupe  filled  their  engagement  at  St.  Augus- 
tine, as  only  a  musician  had  been  killed  from  their 
number.  History  says,  "The  sterling  comedy  of 
'The  Honeymoon'  was  performed- to  a  crowded 
house."  Afterward  the  following  notice  appeared: 
"During  the  winter  months  we  have  no  doubt  that 
a  troupe,  embodying  the  same  amount  of  talent 
which  the  present  company  possess,  would  find  it 
profitable  to  spend  a  month  with  us  each  season." 

Coacoochee,  or  Wild  Cat,  was  captured  with  Os- 
ceola  in  1836,  and  afterward  made  his  escape,  or  he 
never  would  have  been  permitted  to  commit  such  a 
series  of  appalling  atrocities  as  those  which  we  have 
recorded.  Wild  Cat  frequently  visited  the  residence 


146          Petals  Plucked  from  S  tinny  Climes. 

of  General  Hernandez,  who  lived  on  Charlotte 
Street.  lie  also  very  much  admired  one  of  his 
beautiful  daughters,  and,  like  lovers  at  the  present 
day,  wanted  an  excuse  for  returning;  consequently, 
on  going  away  he  would  leave  one  of  his  silver 
crescents,  which  he  wore  on  his  breast  as  a  defense 
and  for  ornament,  to  be  polished,  and  when  he  re- 
turned, take  the  one  he  left  before,  and  leave  an- 
other. He  delighted  to  stand  in  front  of  a  large 
mirror  which  General  Hernandez  had  in  his  parlor, 
and  admire  his  person.  He  said  if  Miss  Kitty  Her- 
nandez would  be  his  wife,  she  should  never  work 
any  more,  but  always  ride  on  a  pony,  wherever  she 
went;  that  Sukey,  his  present  wife,  should  wait  on 
her,  but  Miss  Kitty  would  be  queen.  He  frequently 
made  assertions  of  his  friendship  for  the  family. 
When  on  one  occasion  some  of  them  remarked  that 
he  would  kill  them  as  quick  as  anybody  if  he  should 
find  them  in  the  Indian  nation,  he  replied:  "Yes,  I 
would ;  for  you  had  better  to  die  by  the  hand  of  a 
friend  than  an  enemy." 

The  following  is  an  account  of  Coacoochee's  es- 
cape and  recapture:  In  all  ages  of  the  world  there 
have  lived  those  who  laugh  at  iron  bars,  and  defy 
prison  doors — among  whom  we  find  the  Seminole, 
Wild  Cat,  who  appeared  to  be  proof  against  bullets, 
with  a  body  no  dungeon  could  hold.  He  was  very 
indignant  on  account  of  his  imprisonment,  denounc- 
ing his  persecutors  in  no  measured  terms.  He  said 
the  white  man  had  given  one  hand  in  friendship, 
while  in  the  other  he  carried  a  snake,  with  which 
he  lied,  and  stung  the  red  man.  While  in  Fort 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          147 

Marion  he  planned  his  escape  in  a  most  remarka- 
ble manner.  He  complained  of  illness,  at  the  same 
time  manifesting  signs  of  indisposition,  and  made  a 
request  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  go  in  search 
of  a  curative  agency.  Accompanied  with  a  guard, 
he  was  again  permitted  to  breathe  the  pure  air  of 
his  native  home,  but  not  in  freedom.  This  move- 
ment furnished  him  with  an  opportunity  for  recon- 
noitering,  and  measuring  with  his  eye  the  distance, 
outside  the  fort,  from  the  loop-hole  of  his  cell. 
After  his  return  he  resorted  to  the  use  of  his  herbs, 
and  abstained  from  food,  which  had  the  effect  of 
materially  reducing  his  size.  lie  selected  a  stormy 
night  for  the  undertaking,  when  his  keepers  would 
be  the  least  inclined  to  vigilance,  and  commenced 
making  preparations  by  tearing  his  blankets  into 
ropes,  which  he  made  fast  inside  his  cell,  and,  by 
working  a  knife  into  the  masonry,  formed  a  step. 
This,  with  the  aid  of  his  companion's  shoulders, 
enabled  him  to  reach  the  embrasure — a  distance  of 
eighteen  feet — through  which  he  escaped  by  taking 
a  swinging  leap  of  fifty  feet  into  the  ditch,  skinning 
his  back  and  chest  effectually.  His  companion, 
Talums  Iladjo,  was  less  fortunate  than,  himself. 
After  a  desperate  effort  to  get  through,  he  lost  his 
hold,  and  fell  the  whole  way  to  the  ground.  Wild 
Cat  thought  him  dead;  but  his  ankle  was  only 
sprained,  and,  after  enlisting  the  services  of  a  mule 
grazing  in  the  vicinity,  he  was  soon  far  away  from 
bolts  and  bars,  which  could  restrain  his  wild,  free- 
born  movements. 

Wild  Cat  had  a  twin  sister,  to  whom  he  was  much 


148          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

attached.  He  said  she  visited  him  after  her  death, 
in  a  white  cloud,  and  thus  relates  her  appearance: 
"Her  long  black  hair,  that  I  had  often  braided, 
hung  down  her  back.  With  one  hand  she  gave  me 
a  string  of  white  pearls;  in  the  other  she  held  a  cup 
sparkling  with  pure  water,  which  she  said  came  from 
the  fountain  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  if  I  would 
drink  of  it  I  should  return  and  live  forever.  As  I 
drank  she  sung  the  peace-song  of  the  Seminoles, 
while  white  wings  danced  around  me.  She  then 
took  me  by  the  hand,  and  said,  'All  is  peace  here.' 
After  this  she  stepped  into  the  cloud  again,  waved 
her  hand,  and  was  gone.  The  pearls  she  gave  me 
were  stolen  after  I  was  imprisoned  in  St.  Augustine. 
During  certain  times  in  the  moon,  when  I  had  them, 
I  could  commune  with  the  spirit  of  my  sister.  I 
may  be  buried  in  the  earth,  or  sunk  in  the  water, 
but  I  shall  go  to  her,  and  there  live.  Where  rny 
sister  lives  game  is  abundant,  and  the  white  man  is 
never  seen." 

This  chieftain  wras  afterward  induced  to  come  in 
for  a  parley,  to  a  depot  established  on  the  head- 
waters of  Pease  Creek.  The  following  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  his  appearance  on  that  occasion: 

About  midday  on  March  5,  1841,  Wild  Cat  was 
announced  as  approaching  the  encampment,  pre- 
ceded by  friendly  Indians,  and  followed  by  seven 
trusty  warriors.  He  came  within  the  chain  of  sen- 
tinels, boldly  and  fearlessly,  decorated,  as  were  his 
companions,  in  the  most  fantastic  manner.  Parts  of 
the  wardrobe  plundered  from  the  theatrical  troupe 
the  year  previous  were  wrapped  about  their  persons 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          149 

in  the  most  ludicrous  and  grotesque  style.  The 
nodding  plumes  of  the  haughty  Dane,  as  person- 
ated in  the  sock  and  buskin,  boasting  of  his  ances- 
try and  revenge,  now  decorated  the  brow  of  the 
unyielding  savage,  whose  ferocity  had  desolated 
the  country  by  blood,  and  whose  ancestors  had  be- 
queathed the  soil  now  consecrated  with  their  ashes, 
which  he  had  defended  with  unswerving  fidelity. 
He  claimed  no  rights  or  inheritance  but  those  he 
was  prepared  to  defend.  Modestly  by  his  side 
walked  a  friend  wound  up  in  the  simple  garb  of 
Horatio,  while  in  the  rear  was  Richard  III.,  judg- 
ing from  his  royal  purple  and  ermine,  combined 
with  the  hideousness  of  a  dark,  distorted,  revenge- 
ful visage.  Others  were  ornamented  with  the  crim- 
son vest  and  spangles,  according  to  fancy.  He  en- 
tered the  tent  of  Colonel  Worth,  who  was  prepared 
to  receive  him,  and  shook  hands  with  the  officers 
all  around,  undisturbed  in  manner  or  language. 
His  speech  was  modest  and  fluent.  His  child,  aged 
twelve  years,  which  the  troops  had  captured  at  Fort 
Mellon  during  the  fight,  now  rushed  into  his  arms. 
Tears  seldom  give  utterance  to  the  impulse  of  an 
Indian's  heart;  but  when  he  found  the  innate  en- 
emies of  his  race  the  protectors  of  his  child,  he 
wept.  With  accuracy  and  feeling  he  detailed  the 
occurrences  of  the  past  four  years.  He  said  the 
whites  had  dealt  unjustly  by  him.  "I  came  to 
them;  they  deceived  me.  The  land  I  was  upon  I 
loved;  my  body  is  made  of  its  sands.  The  Great 
Spirit  gave  me  legs  to  walk  it,  hands  to  help  my- 
self, eyes  to  see  its  ponds,  rivers,  forests,  and  game; 


150          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

then  a  head  with  which  to  think.  The  sun,  which 
is  warm  and  bright,  as  my  feelings  are  now,  shines 
to  warm  us  and  bring  forth  our  crops,  and  the  moon 
brings  back  the  spirit  of  our  warriors,  our  fathers, 
wives,  and  children."  Wild  Cat  admitted  the  ne- 
cessity of  his  leaving  the  country,  hard  as  it  was. 
After  remaining  four  days,  he  returned,  with  his 
child,  to  his  tribe. 

General  Worth  commanded  the  army  in  Florida 
at  this  time.  He  established  the  head -quarters  of 
his  command  in  the  saddle — only  asking  his  troops 
to  follow  where  he  should  lead. 

Wild  Cat  had  a  subtle,  cunning  disposition,  which 
gave  the  whites  much  trouble.  They  had  deceived 
him,  and  his  confidence  in  the  pale  faces  was  much 
shaken;  but,  being  induced  by  General  Worth,  he 
was  prevailed  upon  to  meet  in  council.  The  Gen- 
eral made  a  direct  appeal  to  his  vanity,  by  telling 
him  he  had  the  power  to  end  the  war  if  he  chose, 
as  they  were  all  tired  of  fighting.  Wild  Cat  was 
finally  captured  during  the  month  of  June.  His 
camp  was  thirty-five  miles  from  Fort  Pierce,  on  the 
Okachobee  Swamp.  He  had  abandoned  the  idea  of 
emigration,  and  his  name  was  a  terror  to  all  the 
white  settlers.  He  agreed  to  leave  with  the  Sem- 
inole  and  Mikasukie  tribes,  who  elected  him  their 
leader.  His  parting  address,  as  he  stood  upon  the 
deck,  was  as  follows:  "I  am  looking  at  the  last 
pine-tree  of  my  native  land;  I  am  leaving  Florida 
forever.  To  part  from  it  is  like  the  separation  of 
kindred;  but  I  have  thrown  away  my  rifle.  I  have 
shaken  hands  with  the  white  man,  and  to  him  I  look 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         151 

for  protection."  "Wild  Cat,  after  being  sent  to  Xew 
Orleans,  was  brought  back  to  Tampa,  that  he  might 
have  a  talk  with  his  band,  who  numbered  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty,  including  negroes.  He  was  too 
proud  to  come  from  the  vessel  with  his  shackles, 
but  when  they  were  removed  he  talked  freely  with 
his  people,  and  wanted  all  to  be  sent  West  without 
delay.  He  died  OR  the  way  to  Arkansas,  and  was 
buried  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River.  War 
to  him  was  only  a  source  of  recreation. 

The  following  spicy  letter  was  written  thirty-eight 
years  since,  contrasting  the  seasons  in  New  York 
City  with  those  in  St.  Augustine;  also,  a  compari- 
son can  be  drawn  between  the  entertainments  of 
the  two  places.  In  Florida  Indian  massacres  were 
realities,  and  in  New  York  they  dramatized  them 
for  the  amusement  of  pleasure-seekers  and  idlers: 

"December,  1841. — A  winter  here  in  New  York, 
and  one  with  you,  are  very  different  matters;  and 
were  you  disposed  to  question  the  orthodox  charac- 
ter of  ray  position,  you  need  only  make  an  attempt 
to  promenade  in  Broadway  now  with  thin  breeches, 
to  have  this  general  relation  of  fact  converted  into  a 
self-evident  axiom.  The  wind  searches  you,  sharp 
as  the  gaze  of  a  jealous  politician — every  defect  in 
your  wardrobe — and,  with  a  freedom  which  the  other 
must  sigh  to  attain,  blows  upon  your  person  its  icy 
breath,  until  the  warm  current  of  life  feels  almost 
frozen  in  its  citadel,  and  your  legs  are  scarcely  able 
to  perform  the  duties  of  their  creation.  Such  is  the 
difference  of  temperature  with  you  and  in  this  me- 
tropolis." 


152          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  same  correspondent  describes  the  manner  of 
dramatizing  the  Florida  Indian  murders.  Scene — 
Capture  and  killing  of  the  mail-rider  and  wife  in 
Florida: 

"  Having  at  one  time  witnessed  some  of  the  handi- 
craft of  our  red  brethren,  I  thought  I  would  step  in, 
and  lo!  the  room  was  filled  with  some  three  hun- 
dred persons,  anxious  to  behold  this  scene  of  blood. 
The  Indians  were  veritable,  stout,  murderous-look- 
ing rascals;  the  mail- rider,  a  six-foot  youth  —  oiled 
locks,  beautifully  parted,  elegantly- combed  mus- 
tache, white  pantaloons,  straps,  and  boots.  This 
was  the  grandest  specimen  of  a  mail-rider  ever  seen 
in  Florida.  He  might  have  personated  some  of 
those  fictitious  pretenders  of  gentility  which  some- 
times visit  you  —  but  for  a  letter-carrier  —  Heaven 
save  the  mark!  The  wife  was  a  pretty,  plump, 
well-fed  girl  of  sixteen,  dressed  in  all  the  simplicity 
of  girlhood,  before  fashion  had  desecrated  its  pure 
feeling  with  tournures,  converting  the  human  form 
divine  into  a  monstrosity.  Well,  the  chase  was 
interesting;  our  six-footer  stretched  his  legs  and 
black  coat-tails  with  effect.  When  fairly  caught  by 
his  pursuers,  he  was  bound,  and  his  wife  was  like- 
Avise  brought  in  captive.  Then  rose  the  loud  and 
fierce  yells  of  these  demi-devils.  The  mimic  scene 
was  one  of  intense  interest,  and  the  quick  dispatch 
of  life  argued  something  in  favor  of  the  captors, 
until  the  process  of  scalping  commenced,  when  the 
blood  rushed  in  gushes  on  the  bosom  of  the  girl,  as 
her  tresses  were  held  up  amidst  the  fiendish  hurrahs 
of  the  Indians.  Here  there  \vas  a  pause;  the  imag- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          153 

ination  liad  been  wound  up  to  the  highest  pitch, 
when  something  of  a  less  gloomy  character  was  fur- 
nished the  audience." 

It  was  then  the  Florida  settlers  prayed  for  the 
peace  we  now  enjoy  —  when  their  streams  should 
have  the  dreary  solitude  broken  by  the  splash  of 
the  oar,  and  their  moss -covered  banks  send  back 
the  song  of  the  contented  boatmen  —  when  their 
tranquil  surface  should  be  rippled  by  the  freighted 
bark,  with  white  canvas  bending  before  the  breeze, 
sailing  out  to  the  ocean — when  the  watch-fires  of 
their  foes  should  be  extinct,  and  the  yell  of  murder 
give  place  to  the  melody  of  grateful  hearts,  as  their 
songs  of  praise  should  rise  from  the  hummocks  and 
plains;  that  the  land  might  be  indeed  the  home  of 
the  Christian,  the  abiding -place  of  happiness  and 
contentment. 


154          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Far  in  ether  stars  above  thee 

Ever  beam  with  purest  light, 
Birds  of  richest  music  love  thee, 

Flowers  than  Eden's  hues  more  bright, 
And  love — young  love,  so  fresh  and  fair — 
Fills  with  his  breath  thy  gentle  air. 

'ANY  writers  who  come  to  Florida  copy  an 
abstract  of  the  most  interesting  portions 
contained  in  the  guide-books,  besides 
what  they  can  hear,  afterward  filling  up 
the  interstices  from  their  imaginations. 
We  look  to  the  old  Spaniards  for  information,  but, 
alas!  they  are  like  the  swamp  cypress  which  the 
gray  moss  has  gathered  over  until  its  vitality  has 
been  absorbed — age  has  taken  away  their  vigor. 

This  point  appears  to  be  a  favored  place  for  the 
stimulus  of  thought,  where  inspiration  can  be  gath- 
ered from  atmospheric  influences,  and  not  the  heat 
of  youth  or  the  vapor  of  strong  drink.  Daily  we 
are  more  impressed  with  the  fact  how  treacherous 
are  the  links  which  connect  the  chain  of  tradition 
in  a  country  where  its  earliest  history  is  mingled 
with  a  record  wonderful  as  the  champions  of  knight- 
errantry  who  figured  in  the  pages  of  romance. 

The  early  settlers  were  lured  here  by  legends  of 
a  fairy  realm,  where  youth  and  beauty  held  perpet- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         155 

ual  sway,  and  mountains  of  gold  reared  their  shin- 
ing peaks.  (See  Frontispiece.) 

From  the  28th  of  August,  1565,  when  Pedro  Me- 
lendez  planted  the  broad  banner  of  Spain  with  its 
castellated  towers  in  the  lonely  settlement  of  Seloe, 
beside  the  waters  which  our  Huguenots  had  previ- 
ously dignified  with  the  title,  " River  of  Dolphins," 
to  the  present  time,  imagination  has  been  on  the 
alert  to  penetrate  the  past  history  of  this  country. 
On  the  site  of  the  present  plaza  was  celebrated  the 
first  mass  in  America  by  Mendoza,  the  priest,  as- 
sisted by  his  acolytes. 

The  minds  of  the  Seloes  were  much  exercised 
with  the  appearance  of  their  new  visitors,  the  im- 
pression being  received  that  they  were  immortal, 
with  their  steel-covered  bodies  and  bonnets,  which 
flashed  like  meteors  in  the  sunlight,  while  music, 
more  enchanting  than  any  which  had  ever  filled 
their  most  fanciful  imaginations,  floated  on  the  si- 
lent air. 

During  the  early  history  of  St.  Augustine  it  ap- 
peared to  be  disputed  ground  for  all  explorers — • 
French,  Spanish,  and  English.  Sir  Francis  Drake 
in  1586  drove  the  Spaniards  from  here  during  the 
war  with  Spain,  the  Spanish  retiring  so  hastily  they 
left  fourteen  brass  cannon,  besides  a  mahogany 
chest  containing  two  thousand  pounds  in  the  castle. 
During  It~i65,  Davis,  the  buccaneer,  captured  the 
town  again.  In  1762  a  writer  describes  it  as  being 
at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  shaded  with  trees,  the  town  laid 
out  in  the  form  of  an  oblong  square,  the  streets  cut- 
ting each  other  at  right  angles. 


156          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

In  1764  the  Spanish  left  the  town,  and  the  Eng- 
lish took  possession,  when  we  find  this  graphic  ac- 
count, from  which  observant  visitors  can  note  the 
changes: 

"All  the  houses  are  built  of  masonry,  their 
entrances  being  shaded  by  piazzas,  supported 
by  Tuscan  pillars,  or  pilasters,  against  the  south 
sun.  The  houses  have  to  the  east  windows  pro- 
jecting sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  into  the  street, 
very  wide  and  proportionally  high.  On  the  west 
side  their  window's  are  commonly  very  small,  and 
no  opening  of  any  kind  to  the  north,  on  which  side 
they  have  double  walls  six  or  eight  feet  asunder, 
forming  a  kind  of  gallery,  which  answers  for  cel- 
lars and  pantries.  Before  most  of  the  entrances 
were  arbors  of  vines,  producing  plenty  and  very 
good  grapes.  No  house  has  an}'  chimney  for  a  fire- 
place ;  the  Spaniards  made  use  of  stone  urns,  filled 
them  with  coals,  left  them  in  the  kitchens  in  the 
afternoon,  and  set  them  at  sunset  in  their  bed- 
rooms, to  defend  themselves  against  those  winter 
seasons  which  required  such  care.  The  governor's 
residence  has  both  sides  piazzas,  a  double  one  to 
the  south,  and  a  single  one  to  the  north;  also  a 
Belvidere  and  a  grand  portico  decorated  \vith  Doric 
pillars  and  entablatures. 

"  The  roofs  are  commonly  flat.  The  number  of 
houses  in  the  town  are  about  nine  hundred.  The 
streets  are  narrow  on  account  of  shade.  In  a  few 
places  they  are  wide  enough  to  permit  twro  carriages 
to  pass  abreast.  They  were  not  originally  intended 
for  carriages,  many  of  them  being  floored  with  arti- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          157 

ficial  stone,  composed  of  shells  and  mortar,  which 
in  this  climate  takes  and  keeps  the  hardness  of 
rock,  no  other  vehicle  than  a  hand-barrow  being 
allowed  to  pass  over  them.  In  some  places  you  see 
remnants  of  this  ancient  pavement,  but  for  the 
most -part  it  has  been  ground  into  dust  under  the 
wheels  of  the  carts  and  carriages  introduced  by  the 
new  inhabitants.  The  old  houses  are  built  of  a 
kind  of  stone  which  is  seemingly  a  pure  concretion 
of  small  shells,  which  overhang  the  streets  with 
their  wooden  balconies ;  and  the  gardens  between 
the  houses  are  fenced  on  the  side  of  the  street  with 
high  walls  of  stone.  Peeping  over  these  walls  you 
see  branches  of  the  pomegranate  and  of  the  orange- 
tree  now  fragrant  with  flowers,  and  rising  yet  higher 
the  leaning  boughs  of  the  fig  with  its  broad,  luxu- 
riant leaves.  Occasionally  you  pass  the  ruins  of 
houses — walls  of  stone,  with  arches  and  stair-cases 
of  the  same  material,  which  once  belonged  to 
stately  dwellings.  You  meet  in  the  streets  with 
men  of  swarthy  complexions  and  foreign  physiog- 
nomy, and  you  hear  them  speaking  to  each  other 
in  a  strange  language.  These  are  the  remains  of 
the  Spanish  dominion  inhabitants,  speaking  the 
language  of  their  country." 

In  1757  no  vessel  could  approach  the  coast  of  St. 
Augustine  without  running  the  risk  of  being  taken 
by  the  French  privateers.  It  has  not  always  been 
the  home  of  Spanish  Dons  and  guitar- playing,  as 
in  1777.  Captain  Rory  Mclutosh,  the  Don  Quix- 
ote of  the  country,  lived  here,  and  paraded  the  streets 
in  true  Scottish  style,  dressed  in  the  Highland  cos- 


158          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

turne.  His  home  was  with  Mr.  Archibald  Luncly, 
then  a  merchant  of  St.  Augustine.  He  was  pres- 
ent at  the  taking  of  Fort  Moosa,  under  command 
of  General  Oglethorpe,  and  mentions  his  share  in 
the  fight  with  characteristic  bravado:  "I  am  a 
scoundrel,  sir !  At  Fort  Moosa  a  captain  of  Span- 
ish Grenadiers  was  charging  at  the  head  of  his 
company,  and,  like  a  varmint,  sir,  I  lay  in  the 
bushes  and  shot  the  gallant  fellow." 

On  June  17,  1821,  the  American  flag  first  floated 
from  Castle  San  Marco.  A  meeting  was  afterward 
held  in  the  governor's  palace,  where  the  exercising 
of  a  right  was  declared  which  had  banished  the 
Huguenots  from  the  soil  centuries  before :  "  Free- 
dom to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of 
one's  own  conscience." 

The  archives  of  St.  Augustine  were  said  to  have 
been  delivered  to  the  United  States  Collector. 
They  were  sealed  in  eleven  strong  boxes,  for  the 
purpose  of  being  sent  to  Cuba,  but  detained  by 
Captain  Ilanhan,  and  afterward  forwarded  to 
Washington. 

Dr.  McWhir,  an  Irish  Presbyterian  preacher,  vis- 
ited Florida  in  1823  and  1824,  preaching  at  St.  Au- 
gustine and  Mandarin.  He  organized  the  first  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  State,  located  at  Mandarin. 
It  was  also  mainly  through  his  influence  that  the 
Church  in  St.  Augustine  was  founded. 

In  1834  St.  Augustine  answered  to  the  following 
description:  "Situated  like  a  rustic  village,  with  its 
white  houses  peeping  from  among  the  clustered 
boughs  and  golden  fruit  of  the  favorite  tree,  beneath 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.           159 

whose  shade  the  invalid  cooled  his  fevered  brow  and 
imbibed  health  from  the  fragrant  air."  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  forest  of  sturdy  orange -trees,  whose  rich 
foliage  of  deep  green,  variegated  with  golden  fruit, 
in  Avhich  the  buildings  of  the  city  were  embowered, 
and  whose  fragrance  filled  the  body  of  the  surround- 
ing atmosphere  so  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  those 
passing  by  in  ships  at  sea,  and  whose  delicious  fruit 
was  the  great  staple  of  export.  The  plaza  then  con- 
tained many  orange-trees,  one  of  which  was  over  a 
century  old,  producing,  in  a  single  season,  twelve 
thousand  oranges — more  than  eight  thousand  being 
nothing  unusual  for  many  of  the  trees  in  a  year. 

However,  in  1835  there  came  a  change  over  the 
dreams  of  these  independent,  happy  people,  when 
their  source  of  income  was  gone  in  a  single  night — a 
calamity  caused  by  a  cold,  heartless  invader  from  the 
North,  King  Frost,  which  made  them  a  brief  visit, 
and  froze  the  trees  to  the  ground.  From  an  income 
of  more  than  seventy  thousand  dollars  per  annum, 
the  amount  was  decreased  to  nothing.  Their  trees, 
being  well  matured,  had  produced  an  average  of  five 
hundred  oranges  annually. 

We  feel  as  though,  in  trying  to  describe  this  place, 
we  were  hovering  on  the  brink  of  uncertainty,  and 
drifting  along  its  shores,  not  knowing  where  to 
land,  that  we  might  find  the  stand-point  to  com- 
mence our  task.  It  is  here  we  realize  a  kind  of 
traditional  flickering  between  the  forgotten  and 
neglected  past,  shrouded  in  awful  obscurity,  with 
an  intervening  veil  of  myth  and  mystery — a  pil- 
grim shrine  for  those  wanting  relics  to  visit,  where 


1GO          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

many  times  large  drafts  are  drawn  upon  the  bank 
of  their  credulit}*,  which  look  genuine  if  not  hon- 
ored with  credence,  or  added  to  the  store-house  of 
useful  information.  Here  we  see  more  objects  tot- 
tering upon  the  verge  of  existence  and  nonentity 
than  at  any  other  point  in  the  State.  The  most 
venerable  houses  are  built  of  tabby  and  coquina. 
Tabby,  or  concrete,  is  composed  of  two  parts  lime 
and  coquina  six  parts,  thoroughly  mixed,  and  then 
placed  in  position  between  two  planks,  held  to- 
gether by  iron  bolts  until  dry.  Walls  of  this  kind 
were  used  as  a  means  for  defense  in  the  days  of 
Hannibal  and  Scipio,  they  being  sufficiently  strong 
to  withstand  the  ancient  battering  weapons  used  in 
warfare. 

Before  the  forest-trees  which  covered  the  grounds 
upon  which  New  York  City  now  stands  were  felled, 
St.  Augustine  was  the  seat  of  power.  The  streams 
of  wealth,  and  vast  fortunes  to  be  made  as  if  by 
magic,  had  induced  the  adventurer  to  leave  his 
home,  and  the  pampered  sons  of  power  to  pass  the 
dangers  of  the  deep.  It  is  here,  as  in  no  other 
place,  that  two  forms  of  civilization  find  a  foot- 
hold— the  Spanish  dwellings  of  over  a  century, 
with  the  modern  Mansard-roofs  of  recent  date,  all 
subserving  the  purpose  of  substantial  residences. 
Many  of  the  early  settlers  came  like  wandering 
sea-birds,  wearied  with  their  flight,  and  looking  for 
rest. 

This  city  is  like  ancient  Rome,  with  which  many 
found  fault  while  there,  but,  from  some  kind  of  fas- 
cination, they  always  returned  again.  The  inhab- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          161 

itants  residing  in  other  portions  of  the  State  for- 
merly resorted  to  St.  Augustine  during  the  months 
of  July,  August,  and  September,  that  they  might 
avoid  malaria  from  the  marshes.  The  fresh  sea- 
breeze  which  comes  out  every  morning  they  called 
"The  Doctor,"  whose  presence  was  hailed  on  ac- 
count of  its  healthful  influences.  Its  fine  climate 
and  orange -groves  have  always  rendered  it  cele- 
brated, although  it  has  no  fertile  back  country. 

The  powerful  chemical  ingredients,  which  exist 
in  the  atmosphere  on  the  sea-coast,  act  as  a  neu- 
tralizer  to  disease.  The  chloride  of  sodium,  com- 
pounded in  the  laboratory  of  the  great  saline  aqua- 
rium and  respired  without  effort,  is  freighted  with 
the  germs  of  health,  which  are  productive  of  bene- 
ficial effect  in  many  forms  of  pulmouic  complaints. 
*  During  the  Spanish  rule,  it  was  a  place  of  im- 
portance as  a  military  post,  being  the  Government 
head-quarters,  then  containing  a  population  of  five 
thousand  inhabitants. 

As  we  look  upon  these  old  Spaniards  our  thoughts 
go  back  to  the  days  of  their  sires,  whose  minds  were 
ever  on  the  alert  in  search  of  some  new  sources 
from  which  would  flow  fresh  streams  of  amusement. 
Their  manners,  habits,  and  customs  were  once  varied 
as  their  origin — having  descended  from  the  Spanish, 
Italians,  Corsicans,  Arabs,  and  French,  possessing 
the  peculiar  traits  of  these  nationalities.  The  car- 
nivals, posy  balls,  and  many  other  amusements  in 
which  they  formerly  indulged,  have  now  in  a  great 
measure  been  absorbed  by  the  Yankee  element. 
The  holiday  processions  no  longer  march  around 
8 


162         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clinics. 

the  plaza,  bearing  their  bright  banners  and  escutch- 
eons blazoned  with  the  ensigns  of  their  kings,  or 
with  the  names  of  their  favorite  patron  saints. 

The  night  before  Easter  in  St.  Augustine  the  ob- 
servance of  a  peculiar  custom  is  still  retained,  which 
the  early  settlers  brought  from  Spain  with  them:  it 
is  that  of  the  young  men  going  around  to  the  houses 
of  their  friends  singing  a  song  called  Fromajardis. 
What  a  strange  sensation  steals  over  us  to  be  awak- 
ened just  before  the  old  cathedral  bells  have  chimed 
twelve  by  the  sound  of  musical  instruments,  accom- 
panied with  singing,  in  a  foreign  tongue,  a  song 
which  has  echoed  through  the  same  town  for  more 
than  three  centuries  !  It  indicates  that  the  Lenten 
season  is  now  over,  and  the  young  men  are  anxious 
to  participate  in  feasting.  Although  it  is  customary, 
they  are  not  always  invited  to  partake  of  a  bounti- 
ful collation  after  their  song  is  finished,  but  are  pre- 
pared to  do  so  when  the  opportunity  presents  itself. 
The  extreme  poverty  of  the  old  citizens  now  ren- 
ders it  impossible  for  them  to  conform  to  the  cus- 
toms of  palmier  days,  when  large  amounts  of  money 
were  received  from  Cuba  by  the  soldiery,  and  the 
labor  of  slaves  furnished  many  with  a  genteel  sup- 
port. From  these  people  we  can  see  with  what 
tenacity  they  cling  to  their  home  associations;  al- 
though misfortune  has  crushed  their  spirits,  and 
poverty  lessened  their  desire  for  enjoyment,  yet  in 
their  hearts  still  lingers  the  memory  of  a  festive  past, 
which  now  cheers  them  on  through  adverse  fortune, 
and  lightens  life  of  half  its  burdens. 

Most  of  the  old  inhabitants  are  persons  of  very 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          163 

moderate  means,  moderate  ability,  and  moderate 
their  wishes  by  surrounding  circumstances  —  who 
apparently  live  and  grow  old,  ripen  and  die,  with  as 
little  effort  toward  great  designs  or  grand  projects 
as  the  sweet  potato  in  the  hill.  Many  of  them  live 
seventy  or  eighty  years,  are  born  and  die  in  the 
same  house  without  forming  any  foreign  attach- 
ments or  associations — the  machinery  of  their  hu- 
man frames  not  being  moved  with  as  much  rapidity 
here  as  North. 

On  account  of  their  early  training  being  impreg- 
nated with  superstition,  the  imaginary  ghost  that 
moves  gloomily  around  at  midnight  is  always  their 
terror.  The  tongue  or  pen  of  critics  is  never  pros- 
trated when  in  search  of  material  for  feasts  of  fault- 
finding— a  multitude  of  remarks  being  made  with 
reference  to  the  apparent  indolence  of  the  natives, 
not  thinking  that  the  atmosphere  by  which  they 
are  surrounded  is  in  no  way  conducive  to  great  phys- 
ical exertion.  The  inhabitants  follow  hunting  and 
fishing,  besides  cultivating  their  gardens,  while  some 
of  them  have  cow-pens  for  their  cattle,  and  land  out- 
side the  city,  which  they  till.  They  are  a  quiet, 
frugal  people,  retiring  in  their  manners,  and  simple 
in  their  ways— the  very  opposite  in  every  respect 
of  the  grasping,  bustling,  overreaching  Yankee 
— devoted  Catholics,  warm  in  their  friendship,  but 
timid  toward  strangers.  The  young  girls  in  the 
community  have  a  type  of  feminine  beauty  which 
can  be  seen  at  no  other  place,  except  on  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean,  or  in  the  Madonnas  of  the 
Italian  masters — in  short,  St.  Augustine  is  an  Ital- 


164          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ian  town  on  the  shores  of  America,  and  in  that  re- 
spect differs  from  any  on  the  Western  Continent. 

The  language  spoken  by  their  progenitors  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  identical  with  that  used  in  the 
Court  of  Spain  before  the  days  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella.  It  has  the  terseness  of  the  French,  with- 
out the  grandiloquence  of  the  Spanish,  being  derived 
directly  from  the  Latin. 

There  is  nothing  now  remaining  of  courtly  splen- 
dors. A  few  only  of  the  ancient  tenements  are  left, 
some  of  them  tumbling  down  by  degrees;  those 
having  occupants  are  a  class  of  persons  struggling 
for  an  existence,  with  adverse  circumstances  sur- 
rounding them  which  cannot  be  overcome,  but  must 
be  borne  in  silent  submission.  Our  imagination 
before  visiting  declining  architecture  is  always  to 
conceive  that  they  have  an  air  of  the  picturesque— 
a  softness  reflected  on  them  by  moonlight,  or  a  pan- 
orama with  dulcet  strains  floating  somewhere  in  our 
fanciful  dreams.  All  visitors  come  with  an  object, 
well  or  ill  denned — the  student  to  look,  the  historian 
to  gather  dates  and  make  records,  while  the  restless 
spirit  that  roves  everywhere  is  here  in  search  of 
something  new  or  wonderful  for  his  eyes  to  rest  on 
a  brief  period  of  time.  At  this  place  there  is  an 
unchanging  serenity  of  sky,  a  clear  and  harmonious 
blending  of  two  colors — white  and  blue — with  a 
soft  shading,  and  the  line  of  distinction  lightly 
drawn.  Long  level  stretches  of  sandy  country  lie 
before  us  on  the  beach,  covered  by  the  canopy  of 
heaven,  and  lighted  by  the  luminary  of  day.  The 
Matanzas  River  is  ever  in  view,  and,  like  other  wa- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          165 

tcrs,  has  its  moods,  with  its  surface  sometimes  smooth 
as  the  downy  cheek  of  infancy,  then  wrinkled  as  the 
brow  of  age,  or  stirred  like  the  impulses  of  an  en- 
raged partisan  in  a  political  contest.  Every  morn- 
ing the  same  sun  rises  over  Anastasia  Light-house, 
and  beams  across  the  waters  like  burnished  steel ; 
the  curtain  of  nature  rises  on  the  same  scene,  the 
early  dawn  brings  the  same  worshipers;  the  priests 
read  the  sacred  service,  and  we  find  it  an  easy  task 
to  banish  bad  thoughts,  and  become  purer  and  bet- 
ter, if  only  for  the  time  being. 

A  procession  of  nuns  from  St.  Joseph's  Academy, 
conducted  by  the  Mother  Superior,  passes  along  daily, 
silently  as  the  flight  of  a  feather  through  the  air. 
The}7  have  charge  of  two  schools  in  St.  Augustine 
for  both  white  and  colored  pupils,  which  are  well 
patronized,  where  much  instruction,  like  the  Jews 
of  old,  is  given  in  the  ceremonials  of  the  rit- 
ualistic law.  Their  new  coquina  convent  is  pleas- 
ant, and  the  display  of  fine  laces,  made  by  their 
busy  fingers,  incomparable.  The  little  chapel  within 
the  convent  is  very  neat,  containing  a  statue  of  their 
patron,  St.  Joseph,  watching  over  it.  They  exhib- 
ited to  us  a  shred  of  the  Virgin  Mary's  dress,  also  a 
piece  of  the  cross  on  which  the  Saviour  was  hung; 
but  it  required  a  greater  stretch  of  our  imagination 
than  we  were  able  to  command  to  perceive  the  re- 
semblance, particularly  as  we  had  never  seen  the 
original,  or  had  any  description  of  it. 

The  religion  here  is  that  which  sprang  into  exist- 
ence during  the  Middle  A«es,  when  the  minds  of 

O  O         ' 

the  people  were  unable  to  comprehend  a  disembod- 


166          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

led  spirit,  an  intangible,  ideal  substance  somewhere; 
for  this  reason  images  were  introduced  to  address 
their  supplications.  It  is  now  the  pomp  of  pontifi- 
cal splendor,  and  not  the  strength  of  persuasive  elo- 
quence, that  overawres  the  assembled  multitudes — 
a  scenic  display  metamorphosed  into  a  religious 
drama,  where  "  monks  and  priests  are  only  players." 

St.  Augustine,  unlike  the  European  cities,  bears  no 
record  of  great  prosperity  or  vanished  splendors  in 
the  display  of  colossal  buildings,  or  fine  scientific 
skill,  as  the  present  period  boasts  of  more  fine  houses 
than  at  any  time  anterior  to  this.  What  a  host  of 
past  memories  rise  before  us  on  every  side  as  we 
walk  its  narrow  streets,  overshadowed  by  mid-air 
balconies  !  Here  are  the  old  palace-grounds,  where 
the  Dons  from  Spain  paraded  their  troops,  and  ex- 
hibited them,  with  burnished  armor  and  crimson 
sashes,  before  a  queenty  array  of  beauty  seated  on 
the  verandas  of  the  old  Spanish  governor's  head- 
quarters. It  is  here  the  fierce  and  warlike  Semi- 
noles  made  furious  assaults,  and  were  held  in  check 
until  the  women  and  children  could  take  refuge  in 
the  castle. 

The  Seminole  Indians  lurked  in  the  vicinity  of 
St.  Augustine  during  all  the  seven-years'  struggle, 
but  never,  except  as  prisoners  or  to  make  purchases, 
did  they  enter  it,  wrhich  was  quite  different  from 
other  settlements  which  they  depopulated  and  then 
destroyed.  It  is  for  this  reason  we  see  so  many 
older  buildings  here  than  in  other  Florida  towns, 
among  the  most  ancient  of  which  is  the  Escribanio, 
now  called  St.  Mary's  Convent,  west  of  the  cathe- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         167 

dral.  It  was  built  for  and  occupied  as  El  Escribanio, 
or  business  department  of  the  governor.  It  was 
built  of  coquiua  and  concrete,  with  a  tile  floor, 
much  of  the  material  used  being  brought  from 
Cuba,  and  of  the  most  durable  quality.  All  busi- 
ness connected  with  the  Government  was  transacted 
here.  It  was  the  annex  building  of  the  palace,  but 
afterward  occupied  as  a  private  residence  until  1852, 
when  it  became  church-property,  being  then  pur- 
chased by  Father  Aubril.  In  1858  Bishop  Verot 
took  charge  of  it,  and  then  it  was  used  only  tempo- 
rarily as  a  convent  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  an  order 
of  French  nuns. 

The  tale  that  is  told  of  hard  floors  being  for  pen- 
ance, where  nuns  had  kneeled  until  the  brick  was 
worn  away,  is  only  a  fabrication.  The  floor,  like 
all  those  laid  in  Cuba,  \vas  the  best  burnt  tiles. 
Also,  that  the  groans  of  unhappy  nuns  who  had  died 
here  from  too  much  abstinence  had  been  heard 
echoing  through  the  arches  at  unseasonable  hours, 
when  spiritual  visitants  are  supposed  to  be  moving 
around,  is  another  intangible  story  with  which  vis- 
itors are  entertained  who  hanker  after  the  mysteri- 
ous. No  nuns  died  in  that  convent,  as  the  time  they 
occupied  it  was  too  brief  for  any  marked  mortality. 

This  silent  old  town  appears  to  sleep  all  summer, 
with  an  occasional  lucid  moment,  when  an  excursion 
comes  in  for  a  day's  recreation,  until  winter,  when 
every  thing  is  brought  into  requisition,  with  which 
a  clime  or  a  dollar  can  be  turned  from  a  visitor's 
pocket.  It  is  then  the  dear  old  folks  from  a  colder 
clime  come  to  sit  and  sun  themselves  on  the  sea- 


168          Petals  Plucked  from,  Sunny  Climes. 

wall,  or  balconies,  while  the  young  people  walk, 
ride  horseback,  take  moonlight  strolls,  and  sail  on 
the  quiet  bay  or  restless  sea,  talking,  laughing,  and 
singing  as  they  go. 

The  hotel-keepers  look  cheerful  again,  the  Spanish 
senoras  smile  sweetly  as  they  exhibit  their  palmetto 
hats  and  grasses,  while  an  orange  stick  and  an  alli- 
gator are  the  aspiration  of  the  lads — the  latter  being 
a  marvel  to  Northern  visitors.  When  a  genuine, 
live  alligator  cannot  be  obtained,  a  photograph  has 
to  suffice,  taken  after  the  animal  has  been  captured 
and  tied,  to  be  made  to  sit  for  his  picture. 

It  is  true,  many  complain  of  the  manner  in  which 
they  are  annoyed  by  all  kinds  of  professions,  from 
the  boot-black — who  screams  in  your  ears,  "  Shine, 
sah!"  until  you  feel  like  elevating  him  somewhere 
among  the  shining  orbs,  from  which  point  he  would 
not  soon  return — to  the  hotel  bills.  "  Four  dollars 
a  day,  sir;  if  no  baggage,  in  advance."  Then  the 
carriages  —  "Bide,  sir?  take  a  nice  ride?"  The 
pleasure-yachts  come  in  for  their  share  of  attention 
— "Take  an  excursion  over  on  the  beach?  I  takes 
over  pleasure-parties." 

These  all  swoop  down  on  the  defenseless  travelers, 
like  birds  of  prey  over  a  fallen  carcass,  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  some,  and  the  annoyance  of  many  more. 
There  is  no  lack  of  attention  from  interested  par- 
ties, if  you  have  the  money  to  spend. 

During  the  winter  the  old  wharf,  which  shakes  as 
though  it  had  the  palsy  whenever  a  dog  trots  over 
it,  has  men  and  boys  throwing  out  lines  with  a  sim- 

*/  o 

pie  hook,  and  others  with  elaborate  reels  and  silver 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          169 

hooks,  amusing  themselves;  while  the  old  Spaniards 
bask  in  the  sunshine,  on  the  sea-wall,  resting  from 
their  night  of  toil  in  fishing  on  the  rolling  waves,  as 
a  means  of  support,  like  the  apostles  of  old. 

A  good  cart  was  formerly  the  highest  ambition  of 
the  natives,  while  no\y  elegant  carriages,  with  liv- 
eried drivers,  roll  around  the  streets,  decked  with 
the  trappings  of  wealth  and  show  of  fashion. 

It  is  very  amusing,  many  times,  to  hear  the  un- 
cultured youths,  reared  in  St.  Augustine,  make  re- 
marks in  regard  to  the  appearance  and  dress  of 
visitors,  frequently  mocking  them  when  they  are 
speaking,  particularly  if  the  language  is  a  little 
more  refined  than  that  to  which  they  have  been  ac- 
customed; but  the  most  astonishing  thing  of  all  is 
the  mysterious  manner  with  which  the  natives  come 
in  possession  of  your  name,  the  facts  connected  with 
your  movements,  where  you  stay,  and,  more  than 
all,  if  you  have  any  money.  If  you  are  not  flush 
and  free  with  funds,  you  can  rest  from  any  annoy- 
ances, except  boarding-house  keepers,  who  have 
adopted  the  motto,  "Pa}7  as  you  go,  or  go  away." 

The  celebrated  Florida  curiosities  are  a  great 
source  of  traffic,  from  the  June-bugs  to  the  head  of 
a  Jew -fish,  including  stuffed  baby  alligators  that 
neither  breathe  nor  eat,  tusks  from  the  grown  ones, 
mounted  with  gold;  birds  of  beautiful  and  varied 
plumage,  relieved  by  the  taxidermist  of  every  thing 
but  their  coat  of  feathers  and  the  epidermis,  look- 
ing at  you  from  out  glass  windows,  through  glass 
eyes;  screech-owl  tails  and  wings;  pink  and  white 
curlew -feathers;  saws  from  sword-fish  of  fabulous 
8* 


170          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

length;  sharks'  heads;  sea-beans,  supposed  to  have 
grown  on  Anastasia  Island,  but  drifted  from  the 
West  Indies;  and  the  palm,  wrought  in  so  many 
varied  and  fanciful  forms  of  imaginary  and  practical 
utility  as  scarcely  to  be  identified  as  a  native  of  the 
Florida  wilds,  whose  rough  and  jagged  stalks  seem 
to  defy  an  assault  from  the  hand  of  the  most  expert 
explorer,  being  upheld  by  its  roots  of  inexplicable 
size  and  length. 

Most  visitors  think  their  tour  incomplete  without 
a  palmetto  hat;  but  who  of  the  many  that  purchase 
asks,  or  cares,  where  these  home-made  articles  were 
produced — what  thoughts  were  woven  by  the  light- 
hearted  workers — what  fancies  flitted  through  the 
brain  of  the  dark-eyed  maiden,  in  whose  veins  flows 
the  blood  of  a  foreign  clime. 

The  Florida  pampas-grass,  gathered  from  the  sur- 
rounding swamps,  is  much  used  in  ornamenting 
China  vases  and  ladies'  hats,  together  with  the  ex- 
crescent growths  from  the  tall  cypress-trees.  Each 
countryman's  cart  has  a  marsh-hen,  blue  crane,  or  a 
box  of  live  alligators,  seeking  to  make  money  and 
divert  the  attention  of  curiosity-seeking  persons. 

All  visitors  will,  no  doubt,  be  solicited,  freely  and 
frequently,  by  the  different  crafts,  to  make  an  in- 
vestment; but  it  is  all  nothing.  Everybody  has  to 
make  a  support  in  some  way — as  the  little  boy  re- 
plied to  the  Northerner  who  asked  him  how  the 
people  all  lived  down  here  in  this  sandy  country. 
The  lad  replied,  "Off  from  sweet  taters  and  sick 
Yankees." 

It  has  hitherto  been  a  prolific  source  of  entertain- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes.          171 

ment  for  those  who  have  been  here  to  listen  to  the 
narrations  of  old  settlers.  The  tide  of  memory 
never  fails  them.  They  can  relate  things  that  oc- 
curred long  anterior  to  the  current  of  their  existence, 
with  the  same  unbroken  connection  of  circumstances 
as  though  they  were  among  the  events  of  yesterday. 
Most  of  the  old  settlers  are  dead  now;  but  the  le- 
gends live  with  the  younger  ones — the  legendary 
transfer  having  been  made  without  any  apparent 
diminution  of  the  marvelous. 

Our  days  here  pass  in  peaceful  quietude,  the  time 
moving  on  with  imperceptible  speed;  but  the  daily 
records  would  not  fill  a  page  in  history,  or  supply 
material  for  a  romance.  An  incident  occasionally 
takes  place,  which  stirs  the  under-current  of  life  a 
little — as  the  capsizing  of  a  yacht,  catching  a  big 
fish,  shark,  or  alligator. 

Adventurers  who  come  here  seeking  employment 
do  not  receive  a  hearty  welcome.  The  natives  look 
upon  that  class  of  persons  as  a  kind  of  interlopers, 
who  want  to  suck  the  sweets  from  their  oranges, 
and  lick  the  sirup  from  their  bread,  without  paying 
them  for  it. 

Persons  here  from  Xorthern  climes  are  expected 
to  spend  the  winter  in  breathing  the  balmy  air,  can- 
opied with  skies  clothed  in  the  softest  radiance  of  a 
summer  sun,  and  praising  every  thing  they  see.  If 
they  have  any  doubt  in  regard  to  what  they  hear,  let 
them  lock  it  in  secret,  and  keep  silent  until  they 
leave;  for  the  inhabitants  think  that  this  was  once 
the  paradise  of  the  Peri,  which  will  some  day  be  re- 
stored to  its  pristine  loveliness. 


172          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Visitors  who  are  always  ventilating  their  preju- 
dices and  preferences  too  freely,  in  any  place,  make 
enemies.  Let  none  presume  to  tread  upon  the  dan- 
gerous ground  of  expressing  an  adverse  opinion 
with  reference  to  what  they  see,  in  any  of  the  small 
settlements  with  which  Florida  is  filled,  or  in  the 
larger  towns  either,  if  they  wish  to  be  fanned  by  the 
breath  of  popular  favor.  Always  take  the  spirit  of 
volatile  indifference  with  you,  to  waft  you  through 
all  the  little  inconveniences  which  you  may  have  to 
encounter,  resolving  to  accept  and  submit  to  every 
thing  just  as  you  find  it,  or  fold  up  your  blanket  and 
steal  quietly  away  where  you  can  regulate  things  to 
your  liking. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          173 


CHAPTER  XL 

HE  old  St.  Augustine  inhabitants  are  very 
regular  in  their  attendance  at  the  cathe- 
dral exercises,  which,  during  the  Holy 
Days,  appear  to  be  their  sole  employ- 
ment. The  first  sound  that  greets  us  in 
the  morning  is  bells  for  mass.  How  those  harsh 
tones,  jingling  like  fire-bells  run  mad,  break  in 
upon  our  soft  repose  !  The  alarming  speed  with 
which  they  are  rung  attracts  no  attention,  this 
being  all  the  excitement  we  have  in  the  way  of  a 
noise.  The  earliest  sunbeams  shine  upon  groups 
of  worshipers  going  to  offer  oblations,  while  the 
shades  of  twilight  deepen  before  vespers  are  over, 
and  the  throng  of  satisfied  penitents  move  to  the 
quietude  of  their  homes.  The  most  devoted  are 
said  "to  live  in  the  church."  Surely  their  lives 
must  pass  peacefully,  "  Mid  counted  beads  and 
countless  prayers." 

The  cathedral  is  an  object  of  interest  on  account 
of  its  ancient  architecture  more  than  age,  having 
been  commenced  in  1793.  The  church  in  use  pre- 
vious to  its  erection  was  located  on  the  west  side  of 
St.  George  Street.  The  engineers  and  officers  be- 
longing to  the  Government — Don  Mariana  and  Don 
P.  Berrio — directed  the  work,  it  being  completed  at 
a  cost  of  over  sixteen  thousand  dollars.  During;  the 


174          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

many  improvements  made  in  the  city,  the  main  part 
of  the  cathedral  has  remained  the  same  for  nearly 
the  past  century,  while  time  has  touched  it  lightly 
— thus  forming  a  link  with  the  present  in  a  useful 
state  of  preservation.  The  walls  are  built  of  co- 
quina  of  no  modern  thickness,  but  as  if  designed 
to  resist  a  siege.  Its  Moorish  belfry  with  four  bells, 
and  the  town -clock,  form  a  complete  cross.  One 
of  these  bells  was  taken  from  Tolemato  Chapel,  it 
having  been  originally  brought  from  Rome,  as  the 
lettering  indicates.  It  bears  the  following  date 
and  inscription :  "Sancte  Joseph,  Ora  pro  nobis, 
1682."  The  cathedral  also  contains  a  crucifix, 
which  is  brought  into  requisition  once  every  year 
on  Good  Friday,  it  being  a  relic  from  "Niiestro 
Cano  de  la  Leche,"  which  is  all  that  remains.  The 
front  doors  of  the  cathedral  are  now  kept  locked, 
as  it  has  been  a  resort  for  so  many  inconsiderate 
persons,  who  went  there  smoking  and  talking  in 
loud,  irreverent  tones,  as  though  it  was  a  theater, 
where  some  kind  of  daylight  drama  was  being  en- 
acted, instead  of  a  house  devoted  to  wrorship,  and 
entered  with  purity  of  feeling,  if  not  according  to 
prescribed  rules,  which  the  faith  of  everybody  in- 
duces them  to  adopt. 

To  the  minds  of  these  Church-devotees  all  other 
pageant  fades  into  insignificance  before  the  festiv- 
ities and  solemnities  of  the  Holy  Days  connected 
with  their  Church-services,  and  the  veneration  due 
to  their  patron  saints.  Whatever  vicissitudes  or 
changes  may  take  place  with  them  in  other  re- 
spects, their  religion  remains  the  same;  it  is,  in- 


Pdals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          175 

deed,  a  part  of  their  being,  without  which  their 
lives  would  be  considered  incomplete,  their  exist- 
ence blank  as  the  brutes,  which  die  that  others 
may  live.  Some  of  the  worshipers  rush  to  the 
cathedral  with  the  rapidity  of  an  opera-goer,  who 
is  afraid  the  seats  will  all  be  taken  before  he  ar- 
rives, but  enter  with  the  same  degree  of  venera- 
tion as  the  pilgrims  who  visit  and  kiss  the  statue 
of  St.  Peter — still  clinging  to  their  catechism  and 
creeds  firmly,  as  a  part  of  their  life,  while  their 
well-learned  prayers  are  repeated  as  a  talisman 
against  temptation  and  violent  death.  These  old 
cathedral  walls  have  witnessed  stately  ceremonials, 
heard  the  prayers  and  confessions  of  many  penitents, 
whose  troubled  consciences  and  sin-burdened  hearts 
could  find  no  relief  except  at  the  confessional. 

The  bishop  is  regarded  by  the  Catholics  as  the 
Vicegerent  of  Heaven.  lie  lives  in  the  greatest 
seclusion  and  simplicity — -never  appearing  in  pub- 
lic except  amid  the  glitter  and  grandeur  of  a  cere- 
monial, but  always  accessible  to  those  wishing  the 
administration  of  Church-rites. 

Many  outsiders  regard  the  adoration  rendered  to 
the  priesthood  as  homage  to  man.  This  conclusion 
is  incorrect — ':  all  this  effort  at  splendor  and  mag- 
nificence being  wholly  and  purely  a  tribute  of  man 
to  honor  the  religion  which  God  in  his  love  and 
mercy  has  given,  and  no  part  of  it  designed  for 
man's  honor."  As  evidence  of  this,  none  of  the 
priesthood  ever  approach  the  tabernacle,  or  other 
holy  symbols,  except  with  marked  demonstrations 
of  the  most  profound  reverence  and  uncovered 


176          Petals  Plucked  from' Sunny  Climes. 

head —  thus  rendering  the  same  veneration  to 
Christ  which  lie  requires  from  the  people. 

With  an  utter  disregard  for  the  fitness  of  things, 

o  o     ' 

on  exhibition  in  this  cathedral  are  two  frescoes — 
one  representing  the  "Death  of  the  Wicked,"  the 
other  the  "  Death  of  the  Good."  The  good  man 
appears  perfectly  composed,  as  though  he  were 
about  to  survey  one  of  his  Father's  mansions,  well 
prepared  for  the  coming  change,  only  waiting  for 
the  gates  of  glory  to  be  opened  for  his  entrance, 
when  the  words  of  welcome  would  resound  through 
the  peaceful  abodes  of  the  just  made  perfect,  "En- 
ter into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  "  The  Death  of  the 
Wicked ! "  Where  the  idea  of  so  much  that  is  hor- 
rible could  have  been  conceived  is  difficult  to  be  ac- 
curately determined.  It  has  been  conceded  by  all 
that  there  is  nothing  like  it  in  Rome  or  the  Vat- 
ican. Dante,  with  his  vision  of  demoniac  spirits, 
is  not  a  rival.  How  these  devils  grin  !  How  they 
stare  at  the  distorted  features  of  the  poor,  dying 
man,  who  anticipates  soon  taking  a  leap  into  the 
dark  abode  of  these  exultant  beings,  who  are  de- 
lighted at  the  prospect  of  having  one  more  victim 
to  slake  their  sleepless  thirst,  or  on  which  to  exper- 
iment with  some  newly-suggested  torture  ! 

Travelers,  in  coming  here,  must  not  imagine  they 
can  regulate  the  standard  of  religion  in  all  climates 
by  their  own. 

The  old,  time-honored  custom,  in  Catholic  coun- 
tries, of  spending  a  portion  of  Christmas  Eve  in 
prayer  and  praise  to  God  for  the  unspeakable  gift 
of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  is  still  observed  here  with 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          177 

all  the  accompanying  ceremonies  of  ancient  times 
pertaining  to  the  Holy  Order  of  St.  Augustine, 
transmitted,  through  the  priesthood,  to  the  present 
generation. 

The  hio;h  windows,  which   are   nearer  the  roof 

O  ' 

than  any  other  part  of  the  building,  will  never 
draw  wandering  thoughts  from  their  devotions,  as 
their  altitude  would  preclude  any  but  angel  eyes 
from  looking  through  them.  The  modernized, 
cushioned,  upholstered  seats,  upon  which  regis- 
tered Church -members,  with  gilt-edged  hymn- 
books  in  their  hands,  expect  to  slide  from  into  the 
portals  of  glory,  are  not  found  here,  but  the  gen- 
uine, old-time  wooden  benches,  with  a  thick  plank 
to  sit  on,  and  another  to  support  the  shoulders. 
No  velvet  foot-stool  to  kneel  upon,  but  the  bare 
floor  for  penitents  to  bend  in  their  devotions,  and 
the  sin-stricken  to  derive  comfort  and  seek  forgive- 
ness for  their  misdeeds.  Outside  the  chancel,  on 
the  right  of  the  altar,  in  a  niche,  is  a  statue  of  the 
Madonna,  life  size,  with  the  God-child  standing  be- 
side her,  both  looking  very  benignly.  Beneath  the 
niche  is  a  representation  of  the  lamb,  of  which  our 
Saviour  is  the  antitype.  On  an  altar  below  this  was 
a  miniature  stable,  with  an  inside  exposure,  contain- 
ing figures  of  the  infant  Jesus  in  a  manger  with  Mary 
and  Joseph,  the  whole  surrounded  by  oxen,  beasts  of 
burden,  and  other  things  connected  with  the  hum- 
ble furnishings  of  a  stable,  while  bending  in  front  of 
all  were  the  wise  men  worshiping. 

In  rear  and  above  the  grand  "high  altar"  stands 
the  figure  of  St.  Augustine,  dressed  in  all  the  insig- 


178          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ma  of  rank  belonging  to  his  holy  order,  decked  in 
azure,  with  gilt  trimmings,  above  which  is  inscribed, 
"Sancte  Augustine.  Ora  Pro  Nobis  !  "  On  each  side 
of  this  are  two  other  saints  with  the  same  petition 
over  them.  The  altars  were  all  dressed  in  an  appro- 
priate manner,  with  evergreens  and  flowers  that 
never  fade.  The  choir  made  a  fine  exhibit  of  their 
musical  skill,  singing  "Miserere  Nobis,"  "Gloria  in 
JZxcelsis,"  very  finely,  with  the  organ  accompani- 
ment. On  this  Christmas  the  cathedral  was  filled 
with  a  remarkably  quiet,  well -deported  audience, 
composed  of  citizens  and  strangers.  The  services 
were  conducted  by  Bishop  Verot,  who  has  minis- 
tered to  them  in  holy  things  for  nearly  twenty  years. 
At  this  time  he  was  dressed  with  more  than  usual 
display,  it  being  the  crowning  day  of  all  holy  days 
— Christmas.  His  sacerdotal  robes  were  of  costly 
materials,  over  which  was  worn  the  chasuble,  elab- 
orately embroidered  with  designs  of  the  finest  needle- 
work, wrought  in  gold,  and  interspersed  with  numer- 
ous precious  stones,  while  upon  his  head  rested  a 
miter  of  corresponding  elegance;  in  his  hand  he 
held  a  crozier  of  costly  and  curious  pattern.  lie 
was  assisted  in  the  service  connected  with  the  cere- 
monies by  two  other  priests,  also  twelve  acolytes. 
Bishop  Verot  made  some  very  appropriate  remarks 
upon  charity  and  the  Redeemer's  birth.  He  said 
that  no  earthly  king  had  ever  made  his  appearance 
in  so  humble  a  manner,  and  he  was  greater  than  all 
kings  or  princes  in  the  world. 

Softly  fell  the  rays  of  light  from  six  tall  wax  candles, 
supported  by  rnetal  of  ancient  date,  surrounded  by 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          179 

many  lesser  ones  that  lent. their  luster  to  reflect  the 
solemnity  of  the  scene.  Heavenly  thoughts  should 
visit  us  when  associated  with  so  many  holy  emblems. 
Amid  the  stillness  of  midnight,  surrounded  by  the 
symbols  of  this  most  fascinating  religion,  before  the 
grand  altar  kneeled  twelve  nuns,  draped  and  veiled 
with  the  sable-hued  garments,  indicating  their  aban- 
donment of  all  worldly  display.  Before  the  taber- 
nacle stood  Bishop  Verot,  with  a  massive  golden 
chalice  in  his  hand,  while  slowly  and  distinctly 
from  his  lips  were  echoed  the  solemn  words  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  "/Joe  est  enim  corpus  meum"  as  each 
communicant  received  the  blessed  wafer. 

A  visit  to  Tolemato  Cemetery,  situated  at  the 
north  end  of  Tolemato  Street,  is  in  reality  going  to 
a  "garden  of  graves,"  on  account  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  interments  which  have  been  made  there.  It 
was  the  Sabbath  when  we  went,  and,  contrary  to  the 
usual  custom  in  most  towns  and  cities,  there  were  no 
loafers  prowling  about  the  grounds,  or  sitting  on  the 
tablets  reading  novels,  thus  committing  an  act  which 
in  itself  partakes  so  much  of  daring  desecration. 
The  custodian  of  the  gate  was  a  lizard,  that  lives 
in  the  lock,  and  crawls  with  astonishing  rapidity  to 
his  hiding-place  on  application  of  the  key.  When 
the  gates  are  open  we  enter  "  God's  acre,"  where  rest 
the  remains  of  those  who  have  lived  and  died  for 
the  past  three  centuries — priests  and  people,  all  sleep- 
ing side  by  side,  awaiting  that  summons  of  which 
Gabriel  will  be  the  herald.  Since  the  settlement  of 
St.  Augustine  this  cemetery  has  been  the  scene  of 
a  tragic  event,  which  occurred  in  1567,  when  Fa- 


180          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ther  Corpa,  influenced  by  a  desire  to  rescue  the  souls 
of  the  savages  from  the  lurid  flames  which  he  imag- 
ined would  hover  around  the  delinquents  in  purga- 
tory, rebuked  them  for  their  hostile  and  polygamic 
customs.  His  pearls  were  cast  before  swine,  as  the 
untamed  red  men  had  no  prescribed  rules  from  the 
Great  Spirit  in  regard  to.  their  conduct.  They  could 
not  adopt  this  new  regime,  and  the  propagator  must 
be  silenced.  A  council  was  called — the  Sanhedrim 
of  the  savage — when  a  yell  of  triumph  which  pen- 
etrated the  portals  of  prayer  rang  out  upon  the  still- 
ness of  midnight.  It  was  then  the  edict  went  forth, 
irrevocable  and  sanguinary  as  the  laws  of  Draco, 
Father  Corpa  must  die;  and  who  should  strike  the 
fatal  blow?  Whose  unflinching  arm  can  rid  us  of 
this  our  peace-destroyer?  The  athlete  of  his  tribe 
replied.  "  It  is  I !  "  Stealthily  and  silently  they  stole 
into  Tolemato  Chapel,  where,  kneeling  before  the 
altar,  with  a  lone  taper,  whose  feeble  rays  served  as 
a  guide,  was  Father  Corpa.  _  A  single  flash  from  the 
warrior's  steel  gleamed  through  the  darkness;  a 
single  stroke  sufficed. 

Tolemato  Cemetery  now  marks  the  spot  where 
this  act  was  perpetrated,  baptized  with  the  blood  of 
its  first  missionary.  The  remains  of  this  chapel  have 
long  since  disappeared,  except  the  bell,  which  hangs 
in  St.  Augustine  cathedral. 

Another  chapel  stands  within  the  cemetery  now, 
erected  to  the  memory  of  Father  Varela  by  his  be- 
loved pupils  in  Cuba.  The  architecture  is  Corinth- 
ian, while  above  the  doorway  is  the  following  in- 
scription: "Beati  mortui  qui  in  Domino  morientur." 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          181 

This  vault,  when  opened,  is  in  reality  a  dark,  chilly, 
awe-inspiring  place,  where  service  is  held  on  "All 
Souls'  Day,"  when  Catholic  devotees  are  assembled 
to  repeat  prayers  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  whose 
bodies  lie  buried  here.  The  following  Spanish  reg- 
ister is  made  upon  the  marble  tablet  which  covers 
his  remains:  "ESTA  CAPILLA,  FUE,  EREGIDA, 
FOR,  LOS,  CUBANOS,  EL  AN"O  1853,  PARA, 
CONSERVAR,  LAS  CENIZAS  DEL  PADRE 
VARELA."  Hanging  over  the  emblematical  rep- 
resentations standing  upon  the  mahogany  altar  is  a 
copy  from  Raphael's  sublime  painting,  "  The  Ascen- 
sion." The  ravages  of  time  have  destroyed  all  the 
inscriptions  upon  the  tombs  which  were  placed  here 
previous  to  1821.  One  of  the  tablets  being  moved 
back  from  the  top  of  the  vault,  a  portion  of  the 
coffin  was  exposed.  We  concluded  it  might  be  the 
perpetuation  of  a  time-honored  superstition,  which 
favored  the  idea  that  the  soul  visited  the  body,  and 
watched  over  it  after  death.  "  Vida  Robles" — a  life 
of  troubles — was  inscribed  on  another  tablet.  From 
this  epitaph  a  stranger  would  naturally  suppose  life 
had  very  few  charms  for  the  body  deposited  beneath 
it,  and  death  a  welcome  messenger,  that  gave  the 
care-worn  frame  a  blessed  rest. 

A  few  years  since,  some  workmen  being  employed 
to  dig  among  the  ruins  where  Tolemato  Chapel 
once  stood,  discovered  a  medal,  or  medallion,  in 
basso-rilievo,  bearing  the  inscription,  "Roma"  This 
sacred  relic  is  supposed  to  have  been  attached  to 
the  rosary  worn  by  the  priest  at  the  time  when  he 
was  victimized  before  the  altar.  On  one  side  of  this 


182          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

medal  is  a  kneeling  figure,  with  an  infant  in  his 
arms,  around  which  is  engraved,  "  SANCTUS 
JOANNES  DE  DEO"— St.  John  of  God.  C— who 
was  born  in  1495,  a  founder  of  the  Order  of  Char- 
ity, and  father  of  the  eminent  saints  that  flourished 
in  Spain  during  the  sixteenth  century.  His  motto 
was,  "  Lord,  thy  thorns  are  m}7  roses,  and  thy  suffer- 
ings ni}T  paradise."  On  the  opposite  side  is  engraved 
"S.  CHEISTOFO11US  "—  St.  Christopher  — repre- 
sented bearing  the  Christ-child.  This  ancient  relic 
comes  to  us  blessed  by  the  Pope,  and  in  a  remarkable 
state  of  preservation. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          183 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Can  volume,  pillar,  pile,  preserve  thee  great  ? 
Or  must  these  trust  tradition's  simple  tongue  ? 

'HE  ancient  fortress  of  Castle  San  Marco, 
the  name  of  which  has  been  improperly 
changed  to  Fort  Marion,  is  considered 
one  of  the  most  attractive  and  interesting 
objects  in  St.  Augustine.  It  was  con- 
structed in  the  style  of  the  strong  castles  in  Europe 
during  the  Middle  Ages,  after  the  design  of  milita- 
ry engineering  employed  by  Vauban.  In  1762  it  was 
called  St.  John's  Fort,  or  San  Juan  de  Pinos,  after- 
ward San  Marco,  which  name  it  retained  until  the 
change  of  flags  in  1821,  when  it  received  the  title  of 
Fort  Marion,  in  honor  of  General  Marion,  of  Revo- 
lutionary fame.  Its  form  is  that  of  a  quadrilateral, 
or  trapezium,  with  bastions  at  each  corner,  the  wall 
being  twenty-one  feet  in  height.  Its  extreme  age, 
together  with  the  durability  of  material  employed, 
would  be  a  subject  of  more  interest  to  ancient  archi- 
tects, could  they  return,  than  to  any  of  the  present 
generation. 

The  battery  is  the  boulevard  of  the  city,  where  we 
can  come  and  listen  to  the  sea  beating  its  great  heart 
against  the  rocks,  and  see  the  snowy  sails  that  glide 
so  swiftly  out  to  the  solemn  seas,  while  the  white 


184          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

clouds  float  gracefully  in  their  blue  vault  over  our 
heads,  like  doves  through  the  air,  as  the  clear  waters 
from  the  inlet  flash  in  the  bright  sunlight,  like  bur- 
nished armor  for  a  gala- day  parade,  and  a  pensive- 
ness  steals  over  our  senses,  which  makes  all  earthly 
scenes  vanish,  like  shadows  in  the  distance  at  break- 
ing of  day. 

We  also  find  this  a  favored  place  for  receiving  se- 
rious impressions — this  structure,  formed  by  long- 
forgotten  hands,  which  was  a  fortress  of  strength 
for  the  defenseless,  a  prison  for  treacherous  cap- 
tives, where  they  could  pine  and  die  far  from  the 
sound  of  human  sympathy,  with  the  gates  of  mercy 
forever  sealed  to  them. 

The  mind  embalms  pleasant  memories  from  this 
peculiar  spot,  when  the  skies  are  bright,  bursting 
upon  our  vision  like  that  day1  of  which  we  read, 
whose  "morning  will  dawn  without  clouds." 

This  structure  was  commenced  in  1565,  by  the 
Spaniards,  as  a  defense  against  the  Indians.  In 
1732  Don  Manuel  Montiano,  being  appointed  Gov- 
ernor of  Florida,  made  application  to  the  Captain 
General  of  Cuba  for  means  to  strengthen  the  fort, 
also  more  artillerymen,  which  were  granted,  the 
work  being  done  under  the  direction  of  Don  Anto- 
nio de  Arredonda,  a  competent  engineering  official. 
In  response  to  his  request,  two  hundred  convicts 
from  Mexico  being  furnished  him,  six  casemates 
were  finished,  of  which  there  are  eighteen  in  all, 
the  remainder  having  been  completed  in  1756. 

The  impress  of  t\vo  eighteen -pound  shot,  low 
down  on  the  eastern  curtain,  arc  now  to  be  seen, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          185 

made  from  a  battery  placed  on  Anastasia  Island  by 
General  Oglethorpe,  who  attempted  by  a  regular 
siege  to  take  the  city.  The  bombardment  was  con- 
tinued twenty  days;  but,  on  account  of  the  light- 
ness of  the  guns,  and  the  distance,  little  damage 
was  done.  The  siege  lasted  thirty-eight  days,  when 
the  Americans  withdrew  their  troops,  and  returned 
to  Georgia. 

General  Oglethorpe  returned  two  years  after  this, 
taking  Fort  Moosa,  four  miles  distant,  upon  a  broad 
river  flowing  under  the  fort;  then  advanced  to  the 
gates  of  St.  Augustine,  where  he  gave  the  garrison 
an  invitation  to  march  out  and  fight,  which  they 
declined. 

In  1740  the  castle  is  described  as  "being  built  of 
soft  stone,  with  four  bastions,  the  curtains  sixty 
yards  in  length,  the  parapet  nine  feet  thick,  the 
rampart  twenty  feet  high,  casemated  underneath  for 
lodgings,  arched  over  and  newly  made  bomb-proof; 
and  they  have  for  some  time  past  been  working  on 
a  new  covert  way,  which  is  nearly  finished.  The 
ordnance  consisted  of  fifty  pieces  of  cannon,  sixteen 
of  which  were  brass  twenty -four -pounders.  Thir- 
teen hundred  regular  troops  composed  the  garrison, 
also  militia  and  Spanish  Indians.  In  addition  to 
this,  the  town  was  intrenched  with  ten  salient  an- 
gles, on  each  of  which  were  cannon." 

In  1769  it  is  again  described  as  being  completed 
"according  to  the  modern  taste  of  military  archi- 
tecture, and  might  be  justly  deemed  the  prettiest 
fort  in  the  king's  domain.  It  is  regularly  fortified 
with  bastions,  half-bastions,  and  a  ditch ;  has  also 
9 


186          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

several  rows  of  Spanish  bayonet  along  the  ditch, 
forming  so  close  a  chevaux-de-frise  with  their  pointed 
leaves  as  to  be  impregnable.  The  southern  bastions 
were  built  of  stone." 

The  fort  now,  as  then,  is  situated  in  the  north- 
eastern extremity  of  the  old  town,  directly  fronting 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor.  On  the  west  side  is  a 
broad  and  deep  trench,  or  moat,  connected  with  the 
moat  around  the  castle  extending  across  the  town 
to  the  St.  Sebastian  River.  This  trench  was  used  to 
flood  the  moat  around  the  fortress,  from  the  St.  Se- 
bastian River,  and  also  to  be  tilled  with  water  when 
required,  in  order  to  obstruct  the  approach  of  assail- 
ants from  the  southern  direction.  On  the  south  side 
of  this  trench  very  strong  earth- works  were  erected, 
continuous  with  portions  of  massive  walls  on  each 
side  the  city  gate,  which  is  now  the  best  relic  that 
exists  in  Europe  or  America — thus  acknowledged 
by  tourists  who  have  visited  St.  Augustine.  The 
form  of  the  work  is  a  polygon,  consisting  of  four 
equal  curtains,  on  the  salient  angles,  on  three  of 
which  are  bastions,  or  turrets,  the  one  at  the  north- 
east corner  having  disappeared.  The  moat  around 
the  castle  is  inclosed  by  the  internal  barrier,  a  mass- 
ive wall  of  coquina,  which  also  extends  around  the 
barbacan,  following  its  entrant  and  reentrant  angles. 
An  outer  barrier  extends  around  the  inner,  follow- 
ing in  parallel  lines  the  various  flexures.  Although 
a  mound  of  earth  is  now  raised  against  this  outer 
barrier,  inclosing  the  fort,  there  is  little  doubt,  from 
observation  of  the  remains,  that  the  approaches  to 
the  castle  were  guarded,  as  in  the  Middle  Ages,  by 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          187 

an  abatis,  scarp  and  counter-scarp,  frise,  and  all  the 
defenses  then  employed,  the  traces  of  which  are  still 
extant.  The  barbacan  in  front  of  the  entrance — 
called  in  modern  phraseology  the  sally-port — is  the 
only  remaining  specimen  of  a  defensive  work  of  the 
kind  in  this  country,  and  to  the  present  time  has 
been  an  enigma  to  all  visitors,  which  some  tourists 
have  committed  the  blunder  of  calling  a  demi-lune. 
This  particular  will  be  recalled  by  a  reference  to 
Scott's  "Betrothed,"  which  describes  the  castle  of 
the  "Garde  Douloreuse."  Traces  of  the  "outer 
barrier  gate  "  remain,  also  the  draw-bridges,  and  ma- 
chinery by  which  they  were  worked.  Every  thing 
is  preserved  but  the  "Warder's  Tower"  over  the 
gate ;  the  steps  remain  to  prove  the  former  exist- 
ence of  the  tower.  The  draw-bridge,  and  even  the 
pulleys  by  which  it  was  raised,  are  there;  also  the 
ponderous  portcullis,  as  an  illustrated  monument  of 
Sir  "Walter  Scott's  description  in  regard  to  ancient 
castles. 

The  following  Spanish  inscription  is  to  be  seen 
over  the  sally-port  in  alto-rilievo  : 

REYNANDO  EN"  ESPANA  EL  SENR 

DON  FERNANDO  SEXTO  Y  SIENDO 

GOVOR  Y  CAPX  DE  ESA  CD  SAX  AUGN  DE 

LA  FLORIDA  Y  SUS  PROVA.  EL  MARISCAL 

DE  CAMPO  DXALONZO  FERNDO  HEREDA 

ASI  CONCLUIO  ESTE  CASTILLO  EL  AN 

OD  1756  DIRI^ENDO  LAS  OBRAS  EL 

CAP.  INGNEO  DN  PEDRO  DE  BROZAS 

Y  GARAY. 


188          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Translation. — Don  Ferdinand  VI.  being  King  of 
Spain,  and  the  Field  Marshal  Don  Alonzo  Fernando 
Ilereda  being  Governor  and  Captain  General  of  this 
place,  St.  Augustine,  of  Florida,^  and  its  Province. 
This  fort  was  finished  in  the  year  1756.  The  works 
were  directed  by  the  Captain  Engineer,  Don  Pedro 
de  Brazos  y  Garay. 

Every  year  hundreds  of  visitors  rush  into  Fort 
Marion,  and  then  the  dungeon,  with  an  awe-stricken 
feeling,  as  though  the  imaginary  groans  which  are 
said  to  have  been  uttered  here  centuries  since  were 
ready  to  burst  through  the  rocks  and  echo  again, 
like  the  words  of  Plato,  which  his  friends  said  froze 
in  the  winter,  but  on  the  return  of  spring  thawed 
out  again. 

Several  years  after  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the 
United  States  the  north-east  bastion  of  this  fortress 
caved  in,  immediately  under  the  highest  tower,  dis- 
closing a  dungeon  fourteen  feet  square.  On  the 
same  day  was  made  the  discovery  of  a  square  rock, 
cemented  in  an  opening  similar  to  those  in  the  case- 
mates, only  much  less,  which  was  undoubtedly  the 
entrance. 

A  tempest  there  you  scarce  could  hear, 
So  massive  were  the  walls. 

Some  human  bones  arid  hair  were  then  discovered 
and  seen  by  volunteers  from  the  ship  Dolphin — a 
published  account  of  which  was  forwarded  to  Wash- 
ington, and  deposited  in  the  Congressional  Library. 
The  Smithsonian  Institute  has  no  knowledge  of  these 
cages,  bones,  or  any  thing  pertaining  to  them  ever 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          189 

having  been  placed  there — which  forever  silences  all 
inquiries  in  that  direction.  They  told  us,  while  in 
Washington,  that  when  visitors  came  to  the  Institute 
asking  information  about  them,  the  Professors  were 
at  a  loss  to  know  what  they  implied  by  their  inter- 
rogations. 

It  has  long  been  a  demonstrated  fact  that  some  of 
the  St.  Augustine  natives  have  a  way  of  answering 
questions  asked  about  them  in  accordance  with  their 
impressions,  regardless  of  dates  or  historic  records. 
The  following  description  of  the  old  fort  mysteries 
is  a  change  from  the  iron  cages — the  writer  having 
visited  the  dungeon  before  the  cage  tale  had  been 
invented :  "  We  were  taken  into  the  ancient  prisons 
of  the  fort-dungeons,  one  of  which  was  dimly  lighted 
by  a  grated  window,  the  other  entirely  without  light, 
and  by  the  flame  of  a  torch  we  were  shown  the  half- 
obliterated  inscriptions  scratched  on  the  walls  long 
ago  by  prisoners.  But  in  another  corner  of  the  fort 
we  were  taken  to  look  at  the  secret  cells  which  were 
discovered  a  few  years  since  in  consequence  of  the 
sinking  of  the  earth  over  a  narrow  apartment  be- 
tween them.  These  cells  are  deep  under  ground, 
vaulted  over  head,  and  without  windows.  In  one 
of  them  a  wooden  machine  was  found,  which  some 
supposed  might  have  been  a  rack,  and  in  the  other  a 
quantity  of  human  bones.  The  doors  of  these  cells 
had  been  walled  up,  and  concealed  with  stucco,  be- 
fore the  fort  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri- 
cans." 

Many  things,  when  related  about  it  far  away, 
sound  tame,  but  have  an  awe-inspiring  effect  if  sur- 


190          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

rounded  by  its  grim  walls,  listening  to  the  grating 
of  rusjy  bolts,  or  the  clanking  of  iron  chains,  and 
looking  through  the  uncertain  glare  of  the  old  ser- 
geant's candles  as  he  finishes  his  well-learned  tale  of 
horrors,  in  subdued  tones,  with  the  final  paragraph, 
ult  may  be  so,  or  it  may  not;  I  cannot  tell." 

That  human  bones  have  been  discovered  in  the 
ruins  of  old  churches  and  structures  of  various  other 
kinds,  placed  there  for  sepulture,  is  a  well-authenti- 
cated fact.  While  constructing  the  wall  around  the 
light-house  at  St.  Mark's,  Florida,  in  tearing  down 
the  old  Spanish  fort,  a  tomb  was  found  beneath  a 
tablet,  containing  a  single  body  of  much  greater 
size  than  any  living  in  the  country  at  the  present 
day.  In  the  walls  of  the  State-house,  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  a  niche  was  planned  by  the  architect  to 
contain  his  body,  where  his  bones  are  now  sealed  in. 

The  iron  cages  about  which  so  much  has  been  said 
and  written  have  come  before  the  public  with  the 
enormous  cruelties  of  the  Inquisition  and  the  myste- 
ries of  an  almost-forgotten  past.  Many  statements 
have  been  made  and  published  in  regard  to  them, 
without  the  shadow  of  truth  for  a  basis.  There  are 
old  citizens  now  living  in  St.  Augustine,  between 
eighty  and  ninety  years  of  age,  who  saw  those  cages 
when  discovered,  and  heard  their  parents  state  where 
they  first  saw  them. 

The  following  is,  no  doubt,  the  true  version  of 
the  man-cages,  direct  from  a  most  authentic  source: 
About  sixty  years  since,  while  some  workmen  were 
engaged  outside  the  city  gates  in  making  post-holes 
for  a  butcher-pen,  when  in  the  act  of  digging,  they 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          191 

struck  a  hard  substance  resembling  iron,  which  ex- 
cited their  curiosity.  The}?  continued  working  until 
they  uncovered  two  cages,  made  of  wrought  iron, 
welded  together  in  a  manner  somewhat  resembling 
the  human  form,  and  containing  a  few  decomposed 
human  bones.  None  of  the  New  Smyrna  refugees 
were  then  living,  but  there  are  those  alive  now  who 
remember  having  heard  their  parents  sa}^  that  "  two 
cages  containing  the  remains  of  some  pirates  were 
hanging  outside  the  city  gates  when  they  came  to 
St.  Augustine  from  Smyrna,  after  the  English  left  it, 
and  buried  them  just  in  the  manner  they  were  found 
by  the  butchers." 

Although  many  inhuman  acts  have  been  com- 
mitted by  the  Spaniards,  they  are  not  charge- 
able with  all  the  atrocities  perpetrated  in  the 
world.  Senor  B.  OHveros  thus  relates  what  he 
saw  on  the  day  they  were  dug  out :  "  One  even- 
ing, a  little  before  sunset,  I  noticed  a  number  of 
persons  collected  around  the  city  gates,  and  pro- 
ceeded there  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  so  many 
people,  when  I  spied  the  two  cages  standing 
against  the  city  gate-posts."  He,  being  a  gun- 
smith, succeeded  in  obtaining  one,  which  he  said 
was  most  excellent  wrought  iron,  of  which  he  made 
good  use.  The  other  cage  was  taken  in  charge  by 
the  Spanish  officers,  and  locked  in  the  fort  for  safe 
keeping  until  it  could  be  sent  to  Spain  as  a  relic, 
where  old  persons  now  living  here  saw  it  with  feel- 
ings of  terror — they  then  being  children.  Thus, 
instead  of  being  exhibited  as  a  relic  of  the  Spanish 
Inquisition  at  Washington,  as  has  been  represented 


192          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

so  frequently,  it  is  retained  in  Madrid  as  a  specimen 
of  English  barbarity.  The  cages  were  no  worse  pun- 
ishment than  that  of  the  old  English  law  for  aggra- 
vated offenses :  "  That  the  perpetrator  be  drawn 
and  quartered  alive."  And  who  can  number  those 
that  have  perished  in  the  English  pillories? 

No  nation  of  people  in  the  world  can  wash  their 
hands  entirely  from  cruel  conduct,  or  show  a  clear 
record  for  the  humane  deportment  of  all  its  ances- 
try, remembering  infallibility  has  left  its  impress 
nowhere  except  on  the  works  and  ways  of  God. 

Some  of  those  people  usually  designated  as  In- 
dians, whose  isolated  existence  is  concealed  in  mys- 
tery, are  here  in  Fort  Marion,  fettered  with  the 
forms  of  civilization,  to  which  their  adaptability  of 
character  conforms  them  with  as  good  a  grace  as 
the  circumstances  will  permit.  That  these  tawny- 
skinned  creatures  have  constitutions  of  iron  there 
is  no  doubt,  as  their  general  appearance  indicates  a 
life  of  fatigue  to  which  ease  is  a  stranger.  They 
are  subjected  to  much  exposure  in  pursuing  the 
wild  herds  that  rush  with  the  precipitancy  and 
speed  of  the  mountain  torrent,  together  with  the 
days  and  weeks  they  spend  with  only  the  canopy 
of  heaven  for  a  coverin°\  which  increases  their 

O  7 

powers  of  endurance.  Many  times  they  retire  sup- 
perless,  and,  when  game  is  abundant,  gorge  them- 
selves to  gluttony,  after  which,  like  the  stupid  ana- 
conda, they  roll  up  for  digestion,  to  supplant  the 
place  of  more  moderation.  It  is  the  testimony  of 
all  those  who  have  lived  among  the  Indians,  that 
there  exists  a  natural  feeling  of  opposition  to  civili- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes.          193 

zation,  when  not  weakened  by  wars,  or  overpow- 
ered with  superior  numbers. 

Did  it  ever  occur  to  us  highly  enlightened  peo- 
ple, while  looking  at  the  native  dress  of  these  sav- 
ages, wrapped  in  their  blankets,  that  clothing  for 
the  lower  limbs  was  of  but  recent  origin  ?  Trou- 
sers were  never  worn  by  the  Hebrews,  Greeks,  or 
Romans.  The  idea  is  said  to  have  originated  with 
the  Gauls,  the  source  from  which  our  fashions  are 
now  received.  The  garment  worn  by  the  ancients 
wras  woven  in  one  piece,  about  twelve  feet  in 
length  and  half  the  width,  fastened  on  the  right 
shoulder.  It  was  secured  with  a  girdle  in  folds  at 
the  waist  when  they  started  on  long  journeys, 
which  was  termed  "sfirdinsr  the  loins."  This 

o  o 

seamless  coat  was  never  out  of  fashion,  and  worn, 
if  no  accident  happened  to  it,  for  generations. 
Think  of  a  young  man  now  wearing  his  father's 
coat,  to  say  nothing  of  his  great-grandfather's  !  It 
would  be  regarded  as  a  synonym  of  extreme  pov- 
erty, however  rich  the  fabric  from  which  it  was 
formed  might  be  woven. 

The  locality  from  which  these  Indians  were 
brought  was  formerly  designated  The  American 
Desert,  located  beyond  the  Arkansas  River ;  but,  as 
no  remarkable  barren  country  has  been  found  there, 
the  name  was  changed  to  Plains.  The  aborigines 
first  found  on  the  discovery  of  America,  and  those 
roaming  through  the  Western  wilds,  are  of  quite 
different  material.  Those  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
were  planters — cultivators  of  the  soil.  The  West- 
ern Indians  range  through  an  area  of  two  thou- 


194          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

sand  miles  in  extent,  with  no  abiding-place  but  the 
camp-fires,  around  which  they  gather  at  night  to 
rest,  after  shooting  during  the  day  the  buffalo  that 
supplies  all  their  necessities — clothing,  tent-covers, 
shoes,  and  strings  for  their  bows  ;  also  an  article  of 
commerce  for  trafficking  with  the  whites.  An  at- 
tempt at  a  treaty  with  these  children  of  nature 
would  have  never  been  productive  of  any  good. 
The  most  feasible  plan  for  the  present  has  been 
adopted — to  capture  a  portion  of  them,  which  will 
have  a  tendency  to  awe  the  remainder.  Force  is 
the  only  weapon  to  be  used.  They  are  the  Ish- 
maelites  of  the  West.  The  names  of  the  tribes  rep- 
resented here  are  the  Cheyennes,  Comanches,  Kio- 
was,  and  Arapahoes.  The  Comanches  are  the  most 
numerous  of  any  tribe  now  existing,  and  have  for 
many  years  been  a  terror  to  Texas  and  frontier  set- 
tlers. Entire  districts  have  been  depopulated  by 
them.  While  they  exert  a  sleepless  vigilance  over 
their  own  possessions,  they  are  constantly  making 
predatory  incursions  upon  their  neighbors.  The 
Texas  Rangers  acquired  the  great  skill,  of  which 
we  saw  such  frequent  exhibits  during  the  war,  in 
spending  a  portion  of  each  day  skirmishing  with 
these  Indians.  They  are  bold  and  warlike,  with  a 
home  on  the  grassy  plains,  whose  kingdom  is  con- 
quest, their  throne  a  horse,  upon  which,  when  once 
seated,  with  their  arrows  and  lasso,  they  acknowl- 
edge no  umpire  but  death.  More  than  three  hun- 
dred years  since,  when  first  discovered,  they  had 
dogs  for  beasts  of  burden — horses  never  having 
been  used  among  them.  Plunder  is  what  they  live 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          195 

for,  and  trophies  what  they  fight  for — it  is  consid- 
ered disgraceful  for  them  to  return  to  camps  empty- 
handed:  no  glory  then  awaits  them,  or  words  of 
kindness. 

The  Cheyennes  have  a  rude  system  of  represent- 
ing their  ideas  by  picture-writing,  which  may  be 
traced  up  to  the  highest  type  of  communicating 
thought  b}T  letter-writing.  In  this  manner  they 
have  preserved  legends,  written  history,  and  re- 
corded songs. 

The  pantomimic  movements  of  these  Indians  are 
all  the  language  of  signs.  Each  yelp  has  its  im- 
port, by  which  means  they  can  converse  with  one 
another,  although  their  dialect  may  differ.  Hiding 
with  the  tails  of  their  ponies  braided  is  a  key-note 
to  hostilities.  It  is  a  remarkable  peculiarity,  in  re- 
gard to  their  language,  that  they  have  retained  it, 
however  much  associated  with  other  tribes,  which 
is  illustrated  by  the  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes  liv- 
ing in  close  proximity,  indulging  in  freaks  of  tight- 
ing  and  friendship,  as  their  inclination  dictates, 
communicating  with  each  other  only  by  gestures  or 
interpreters.  They  inhabit  the  valley  of  the  Platte 
River,  always  ready  to  receive  presents,  talk  in  good 
faith  of  peace,  but  hardly  have  the  words  ceased  to 
echo  from  their  lips  before  they  are  holding  a  council 
of  war,  and  making  preparations  for  a  descent  upon 
any  thing  of  value  they  may  have  discovered  during 
their  parley.  They  eat  the  flesh  of  canines  with  a 
relish  that  places  all  Government  rations  at  a  dis- 
count. Their  visitors  are  expected  to  partake  with 
them  as  a  mark  of  friendship. 


196          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  Kiowa  and  Arapahoe  tribes  appear  to  have 
oratorical  powers  not  possessed  by  the  others,  and 
their  native  eloquence  has  never  been  improved  by 
education.  Sa-tan-ta,  a  former  chief  of  the  Iviowas, 
when  taken  by  the  Government  for  numberless  dep- 
redations, pleaded  his  own  cause  with  such  powerful 
effect  he  was  dubbed  "The  Orator  of  the  Plains." 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  patriarchs  among  them 
prefer  peace,  but  the  young  warriors  are  fond  of 
fio-htintr.  With  them  it  is  an  inborn  instinct,  like  a 

o  o  t 

bird  for  the  air. 

No  life  can  be  imagined  fraught  with  greater  dan- 
gers and  privations  than  that  of  soldiers  in  search 
of  Indians,  to  be  found  lurking  with  their  missiles 
of  destruction  behind  trees,  grass-blades,  or  in  any 
covert  from  which  they  can  discharge  these  death- 
dealing  weapons,  in  real  or  fancied  security.  The 
wild  animals,  driven  by  necessity,  are  always  in 
readiness  to  pluck  the  bones  of  the  first  object  they 
see,  whether  man  or  beast.  Then  the  terrible  thirst 
the  poor  soldiers  endure,  to  be  slaked  with  bitter 
waters,  which  destroy  instead  of  refreshing  them; 
the  starving  mules  and  horses  of  uncertain  ages, 
whose  flesh  they  have  devoured  like  hungry  dogs; 
the  frosted  limbs  upon  which  they  have  limped  until 
life  seemed  a  burden.  The  fate  of  those  who  have 
preceded  them  is  constantly  in  view;  their  compan- 
ions are  found  lying  near  the  last  Indian  trail  with 
their  bones  bleaching,  or  their  bodies  filled  with 
arrows,  according  to  the  number  present  when  they 
were  killed  —  no  warrior  is  satisfied  until  he  has 
pierced  his  bleeding,  quivering  flesh  with  a  barbed 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          197 

point.  Many  of  the  arrows  used  have  been  poisoned 
by  dipping  them  in  the  decayed  hearts  and  livers  of 
the  buffaloes  they  have  killed  and  then  dried — a 
wound  from  one  of  them  being  equally  as  fatal  in  its 
effects  as  the  virus  from  a  dissecting-knife. 

During  the  stay  of  these  red  men  efforts  have 
been  made  to  teach  them  the  use  of  boots  and 
breeches,  but  the  practical  utility  of  either  is  of 
little  import  to  them.  Their  first  movement  on  re- 
turning West  will  no  doubt  be  to  drop  their  Govern- 
ment clothes,  and  resume  the  blanket  and  leggins. 


198          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

URING  the  year  1690,  after  the  appointment 
of  Don  Quiroga  Loada  as  Governor  of 
Florida,  the  water  was  discovered  to  be 
making  encroachments  from  the  bay  into 
the  town.  A  proposition  was  then  made  to 
the  residents  that  a  wall  should  be  constructed  from 
the  castle  to  the  plaza.  At  this  time  the  sum  of 
eight  thousand  dollars  was  raised,  and  a  wall  of  co- 
quina  built,  a  portion  of  which  can  yet  be  seen.  The 
present  sea-wall,  which  is  nearly  a  mile  in  length, 
extending  below  the  barracks,  was  commenced  in 
1837,  completed  in  1843,  at  an  expense  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  the  entire  foundation  beins; 

*_j 

of  coquina,  mounted  with  a  coping  of  granite,  four 
feet  wide.  It  is  here  young  lovers  delight  to  prom- 
enade in  mid-winter,  breathing  words  of  tenderness 
and  love,  while  the  bright  moonbeams  silver  the 
waves  beneath  their  feet. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  town,  near  the  fort, 
stands  what  is  left  of  the  city  gates,  the  most  inter- 
esting relic  that  remains  from  a  walled  city.  The 
gates  are  gone,  the  architecture  of  the  two  towers, 
or  pillars,  remaining  being  purely  arabesque,  sur- 
mounted by  a  carved  pomegranate.  Like  the  relics 
at  Mount  Vernon,  if  a  protection  is  not  built  around 
these  pillars,  the  hand  of  vandalism  will  soon  have 


REMAINS  OF  THE  ST.  AUGUSTINE  CITY  GATEWAY. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          199 

them  destroyed,  as  so  many  careless  visitors  are  con- 
stantly chipping  off  fragments.  The  sentry-boxes 
are  much  defaced,  their  foundation  being  a  cement, 
the  art  of  making  it  now  being  lost. 

North  of  the  fort,  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile,  on 
a  slightly  elevated  plat  of  ground,  there  stood  over 
three  hundred  years  ago  an  Indian  village,  called 
Tapoquoi.  Upon  this  spot  now  remains  the  foun- 
dation of  a  church,  known  as  "Nuestra  Seiiora  de 
la  Leche."  Two  hundred  and  seventy -five  years 
since  a  most  inhuman  act  was  committed  here  by 
the  Indians.  Father  Bias  de  Rodriguez,  a  Fran- 
ciscan friar,  having  administered  reproof  to  a  young 
chieftain  for  indulging  in  practices  which  did  not 
belong  to  his  profession,  was  warned  in  a  menacing 
manner  to  prepare  for  death.  He  remonstrated  with 
the  Indians,  trying  to  dissuade  them  from  their 
wicked  designs.  However,  all  his  tears  and  en- 
treaties were  unavailing.  Finally,  as  a  last  request, 
he  asked  the  privilege  of  celebrating  mass  before 
being  forced  to  try  the  realities  of  another  world. 
His  fiendish,  blood-thirsty  persecutors  crouched 
during  the  service  like  beasts  of  prey,  waiting  for 
an  opportune  moment  to  seize  their  innocent  vic- 
tim. Hardly  had  the  words  of  supplication  ceased 
for  his  enemies,  before  his  murderers,  as  if  impatient 
for  the  sacrifice,  rushed  upon  him  with  their  war- 
clubs,  crushing  him  in  a  most  shocking  manner, 
bespattering  the  altar  with  his  blood,  while  streams 
of  his  life's-gore  covered  his  snowy  vestments.  They 
threw  his  mutilated  remains  into  the  field,  but 
nothing  disturbed  them  until  a  Christian  Indian 


200          Petals  Pinched  from  Sunny  Climes. 

gave  them  sepulture.  An  emotion  of  sadness  is 
produced  in  the  mind  of  the  sensitive  visitor  while 
surveying  the  ruins  of  this  chapel — "fragments  of 
stone,  reared  by  hands  of  clay" — isolated  from  hu- 
man habitation,  where  no  sounds  now  break  the 
silence  but  sighing  winds  and  surging  waves  from 
a  restless  sea. 

The  fact  has  long  since  been  demonstrated  beyond 
a  doubt  that  St.  Augustine  is  the  home  of  the  rose 
as  well  as  the  orange,  which  can  be  seen  from  the 
following  description  of  one  called  "La  Sylphide," 
whicb  grew  in  the  yard  of  Senor  Oliveros,  on  St. 
George's  Street:  "This  remarkable  rose-tree  before 
its  death  attained  to  the  height  of  about  twenty  feet, 
the  main  stalk  being  fifteen  inches  in  circumference 
and  five  inches  in  diameter,  the  whole  covering  an 
area  of  seventeen  feet,  yielding  annually  between 
four  and  five  thousand  beautiful  buds.  But  its 
glory  has  now  departed.  While  crowds  gathered 
to  admire  it,  a  worm  was  eating  at  the  heart,  thus 
withering  its  creamy  petals,  blighting  the  tender 
buds,  which  never  opened  their  velvet  coverings  to 
greet  the  sunlight,  or  kiss  the  morning  breeze,  as  it 
came  from  its  home  in  the  sea." 

Many  who  have  never  spent  a  winter  in  Florida 
think  there  is  no  religion,  or  churches  either,  which 
is  quite  the  reverse,  as  the  finest  pulpit-talent  in  the 
North  visit  St.  Augustine  during  the  winter  to  rest 
and  prepare  for  the  arduous  and  responsible  du- 
ties which  await  them  on  their  return.  The  change 
of  scenery  and  surroundings  give  these  clergymen 
inspiration,  when  visitors  often  listen  to  some  heav- 


^  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          201 

enly  sermons.  Imagine  a  Sabbath  here  in  January, 
pleasant  as  a  June  holiday,  North,  among  the  roses, 
with  a  soft  air  floating  through  the  house,  which 
much  resembles  a  new-born  spring. 

The  Presbyterian  church  is  a  good,  old-fashioned, 
well-preserved  specimen  of  coquina  walls.  Many 
pleasant  faces,  whose  homes  are  far  away  in  icy  re- 
gions, worship  here  every  Sabbath.  The  table  in 
front  of  the  pulpit  has  a  tall  vase  filled  with  the 
most  beautiful  flowers  that  ever  bloomed  in  any 
clime — rose-buds,  tinted  like  the  sunset  sky,  or- 
ange-blooms, pomegranates,  and  snowy  jasmines, 
all  fresh  from  their  bath  in  the  morning  dew,  ex- 
haling their  sweet  odors,  mingled  with  the  paeans  of 
God's  people  —  thus  giving  a  holy  peace  to  this 
blessed  hour.  The  flowers  are  from  the  gardens  of 
Messrs.  Atwood  and  Alexander,  who  both  have  a 
cultivated  taste  for  the  beautiful.  Two  young  men 
have  just  walked  in,  who  are  obliged  to  talk,  whether 
they  say  any  thing  of  importance  or  not.  One  of 
them  remarked,  "I  think  flowers  in  a  church  look 
too  gushing!"  This  house,  which  is  capable  of 
containing  over  four  hundred  people,  is  filled  nearly 
every  Sabbath. 

Dr.  Daniel  F.  March,  the  author  of  "  Night  Scenes 
in  the  Bible,"  preached  to-day.  He  always  tells  us 
something  sweet  to  think  of  during  the  week,  to 
lighten  life  of  half  its  burden,  that  we  can  take 
along  and  travel  its  rough,  rugged  paths,  singing 
instead  of  sighing.  While  associated  with  so  much 

o  o 

that  is  pleasant,  the  earth  appears  like  a  purified 
pedestal  to  a  higher  life,  rather  than  a  vale  of  wick- 


202          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.^ 

eduess.  Dr.  March  has  given  a  dissertation  to-day 
upon  small  matters,  which  make  up  the  great  sum 
of  life.  He  says:  "Thousands  of  homes  in  our 
land  might  he  made  heaven  hy  kind  words.  One 
little  pleasant  sentence  spoken  in  the  morning  will 
ring  all  day  in  a  sensitive  heart  like  the  song  of  a 
seraphim." 

The  Episcopal  church,  situated  on  the  plaza,  is  a 
neat  Gothic  structure,  with  stained  glass  windows 
of  exquisite  design,  which  resemble  the  inner  fur- 
nishing of  an  elegant  city  church  more  than  a  little 
chapel  down  by  the  sea.  It  was  commenced  in  1827, 
and  consecrated  in  1833,  by  Bishop  Bowen,  of  South 
Carolina.  This  church  owns  beautiful  grounds, 
filled  with  a  tropical  growth,  adjoining  it,  on  the 
south-west  side  of  the  plaza.  The  land  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Spanish  Government,  whose  claim 
ceased  when  the  province  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States.  This  property,  then,  by  a  special  act  of 
Congress,  wras  given  to  the  Church,  to  be  under  the 
control  and  management  of  the  wardens  and  vestry, 
the  act  being  confirmed  February  8,  1827,  when,  in 
1857,  it  was  leased  to  a  private  party  for  the  term 
of  twenty-five  years.  It  is  a  piece  of  property  that 
involves  a  curious  question — the  Spanish  or  English 
measurement  of  a  few  feet  of  ground,  which  takes 
in  or  leaves  out  the  veranda  from  the  front  of  the 
most  desirable  residence  in  the  city,  formerly  owned 
by  Dr.  Bronson.  The  question  has  never  been  de- 
cided who  owns  the  veranda,  but  the  Church,  hav- 
ing no  use  for  it,  has  never  issued  a  possessory 
warrant.  Dr.  Root,  a  venerable  and  most  exem- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          203 

plary  clergyman,  is  their  pastor  now,  who  ministers 
to  them  in  holy  things. 

At  no  place  in  the  world  can  a  greater  variety  of 
peculiar  people  be  seen  during  the  winter,  with 
their  idiosyncrasies  and  eccentricities  cropping  out, 
for  the  amusement  of  some,  and  the  annoyance  of 
others,  than  at  St.  Augustine.  One  of  these  pecu- 
liar folks,  of  the  masculine  gender,  can  be  seen 
every  Sabbath  morning  in  one  of  the  churches. 
His  devotions  during  the  service  are  profound — his 
spiritual  nature  appears  absorbed  in  humble  con- 
fessions. At  his  side,  on  the  cushion,  reclines  his 
constant  companion  —  a  little,  black,  shaggy  dog, 
fastened  to  the  seat.  His  master,  having  an  aver- 
sion to  strangers  sitting  by  him,  places  his  dog 
there  as  a  protection  against  intruders.  At  the 
close  of  the  service,  the  dog  and  master  both  leave 
the  church  with  a  regularity  that  has  been  re- 
marked by  all  those  who  attend  this  place  of  wor- 
ship. It  was  one  Sabbath  morning  in  March  of 
1878,  while  the  orange-blossoms  were  exhaling 
their  fragrance,  the  birds  singing  their  sono-s  of 

o  ?  o       o  o 

joy,  combined  with  the  perfection  of  a  clay  which 
increased  the  desire  for  a  stroll  to  the  woods,  and 
far  away,  that  this  dog  and  his  master  were  seen 
approaching.  The  dog  turned  into  the  church, 
when  the  master  stopped,  beckoned,  and  tried  to 
call  him  out,  but  all  in  vain — no  effort  could  dis- 
suade the  dog  from  his  regular  custom  of  church- 
going,  and  the  master  had  to  attend  church  also, 
but  against  his  own  inclination  on  this  occasion. 
This  man  is  one  of  those  harmless  eccentrics  whose 


204          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

freaks  no  one  would  think  of  interfering  with,  or 
trying  to  deprive  him  of,  more  than  the  crutch  of  the 
aged,  or  the  spar  from  a  drowning  man.  The  most 
remarkable  part  of  this  story  is  yet  to  be  told.  His 
acquaintances  in  the  North,  who,  seven  years  since, 
knew  that  he  was  an  inmate  of  a  lunatic  asylum  in 
New  York,  and  supposing  him  there  now,  could 
scarcely  credit  the  statement  that  he  had  been 
spending  seven  delightful  winters  in  St.  August- 
ine, chaperoning  the  ladies,  with  whom  he  is  a 
great  favorite,  although  the  current  of  his  matrimo- 
nial felicity  has  been  stirred  to  the  foundation,  and 
never  yet  settled. 

From  the  above  facts,  it  can  be  seen  that  St.  Au- 
gustine was  not  only  supposed  to  contain  the  foun- 
tain of  youth,  but  has,  in  reality,  by  its  equable  at- 
mospheric influences,  deprived  the  lunatic  of  his 
madness. 

Among  other  attractions,  St.  Augustine  contains 

o  '  0 

a  Public  Reading-room  and  Circulating  Library, 
both  being  the  enterprise  of  kind-hearted,  benevo- 
lent citizens  and  visitors,  among  the  most  promi- 
nent of  whom  we  find  the  name  of  J.  L.  Wilson, 
Esq.  The  Reading-room  is  furnished  with  daily 
and  weekly  papers,  together  with  periodicals  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States,  where  time  can  be 
passed  very  pleasantly  in  obtaining  a  knowledge  of 
the  events  taking  place  in  the  outside  world.  The 
Library  contains  about  two  thousand  judiciously- 
selected  volumes — most  of  them  being  late  and 
standard  works,  from  the  best  authors,  in  both 
Europe  and  America.  Library- books  are  lent  to 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          205 

responsible  persons,  who  will  return  them  within  a 
prescribed  time  without  injury.  All  contributions, 
either  in  books  or  money,  will  be  thankfully  received 
and  properly  used. 

The  important  question  with  most  visitors  wher- 
ever they  go  is,  What  do  we  have  to  eat?  as  though 
the  sole  object  of  their  lives  was  gormandizing. 
The  market  in  St.  Augustine  is  well  supplied  with 
eatables.  Vessels  from  Kew  York  arrive  weekly 
with  groceries  consigned  to  one  or  more  of  the  va- 


A    SKA-CRAB. 

rious  firms  of  Messrs.  Harnlin  &  Co.,  Genovar  & 
Brother,  Lyon  &  Co.,  large  wholesale  and  retail 
dealers,  which  are  furnished  to  their  customers  on 
more  reasonable  terms  than  purchasers  would  think 
possible.  During  most  of  the  winter  months  fresh 
strawberries,  cabbage,  and  lettuce,  sparkling  with 
the  morning  dew,  are  sold  on  the  streets,  besides 
celery,  turnips,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  wild  tur- 
k\ys  and  ducks,  together  with  plenty  of  venison  and 
beef.  It  is  a  treat  to  visit  the  fish-market  at  early 


206          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

dawn,  and  see  the  boats  come  in  with  their  live  fish 
of  various  kinds  —  drum,  mullet,  flounder,  sheep- 
head,  red  bass,  crabs,  etc. 

Fine  Matanzar  oysters  are  kept  for  sale  in  or  out 
of  the  shell,  as  the  purchaser  may  choose.  If  any 
appearance  of  starvation  has  ever  faced  visitors 
here,  no  one  has  perished  here  from  hunger.  It  is 
true,  there  have  been  times  when  the  demand  for 
certain  articles  has  exceeded  the  supply  a  day  or 
two  only,  but  now  good,  palatable,  life-sustaining 
food  can  be  obtained ;  also  fresh  milk,  as  some  of 
the  citizens  are  making  dairies  a  specialty.  Very 
sweet  oranges  are  sold  from  Dr.  Anderson's  grove 
by  the  cart-load,  while  some  others  have  almost 
every  variety  produced,  including  the  Lisbon,  Chi- 
nese, Maltese,  Tangerine,  Seville,  and  Mandarin,  or 
Clove  orange. 

Hotels  here,  with  high-sounding  names  and  in- 
viting appearance,  are  well  kept.  The  St.  August- 
ine, Magnolia,  and  Florida  Houses,  have  the  most 
rooms,  while  the  Sunnyside  has  taken  a  front  seat 
for  first-class  accommodations  with  all  its  patrons. 
Nearly  every  house  rents  rooms  or  takes  boarders, 
and  many  of  them  feed  well  —  among  whom  we 
find  the  names  of  Mr.  George  Greeno,  Mr.  Medi- 
cis,  and  Miss  Lucy  Abbott,  as  extremely  popular. 

Some  who  visit  Florida  expect  gratuitous  offer- 
ings from  the  residents  for  the  great  favor  shown 
them  in  coming,  and  when  they  find  every  thing  is 
cash  on  delivery,  a  general  fault-finding  is  com- 
menced on  extortion — this  exercise  being  the  only 
escape-valve  for  their  bottled  wrath.  The  far-famed 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          207 

hospitality  of  the  Southern  people  is  a  record  of  the 
past,  from  the  force  of  surrounding  circumstances, 
now  obsolete,  as  Webster  says  with  regard  to  some 
of  his  Dictionary  words :  with  most  of  them  it  is  a 
question  of  bread,  and  whatever  produce  or  fruit  of 
any  kind  is  raised — from  a  ground -pea  to  a  ripe 
sweet  orange  —  the  question  is  asked,  How  can  I 
turn  it  into  something  by  which  my  family  may  be 
supported  ?  The  South  has  now  neither  wealth  nor 
much  leisure  to  spend  without  value  received.  The 
inhospitality  in  not  giving  fruits  is  only  one  of  the 
many  sources  of  complaint — the  boarding-houses  and 
hotels  being  the  most  prolific  cause  for  disagreeable 
remarks.  The  most  eligible  houses  of  entertainment, 
with  scarcely  an  exception,  are  kept  by  Northern  peo- 
ple, who  have  charged  two  dollars  for  a  dinner  with 
the  most  unblushing  effrontery,  while  the  Floridian 
is  satisfied  with  fift}^  cents  for  a  square  meal.  There 
are  also  those  reared  here  who  ask  whatever  they 
think  visitors  will  stand,  regardless  of  principle,  but 
they  always  bear  brow -beating,  when  they  come 
down  to  prices  within  range  of  any  ordinary  purse. 
Many  speak  of  this  favorably  as  a  summer-resort, 
but  when  the  season  advances  into  May,  the  winter- 
visitors  all  leave.  Then  a  painful  silence  pervades 
every  thing,  unbroken  only  by  an  occasional  yawn 
from  the  residents,  who  are  tired  doing  nothing. 
These  demonstrations  sound  sad,  as  if  from  the 
tomb,  and  where  the  echoes  cease  to  reverberate 
we  have  never  been  able  to  determine.  The  cli- 
mate, from  its  insular  exposure,  is  said  to  be  lovely 
even  in  August. 


208  Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

We  are  now  enjoying  moonlight  nights,  about 
which  so  many  have  so  much  rhapsodized.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  the  nocturnal  appearance  of  the  heav- 
ens in  this  latitude  contrasts  with  a  Northern  one 
in  the  same  manner  that  two  paintings  differ — the 
warmth,  richness,  and  brilliancy  of  the  one  being  in 
opposition  to  the  poverty  and  indistinctness  of  the 
other.  On  account  of  the  latitude,  there  is  no  twi- 
light— the  "fairy  web  of  day  is  never  hung  out" — 
but  from  blazing  sunshine  into  darkness  we  are  at 
once  precipitated — no  witchery  or  poetry  to  be  found 
between  the  magic  hours  intervening. 

Every  season  finds  a  large  number  of  nice  people 
at  this  place,  who  require  a  change  of  climate,  from 
the  severity  of  cold,  piercing  winds,  to  the  blandness 
of  an  Indian  summer.  The  care-worn  come  to  rest, 
writers  to  find  inspiration;  for  here,  fanned  by  the 
sea-breeze,  does  not  "  light-winged  fancy  "  travel  at  a 
swifter  pace  in  the  daylight?  and  when  night  comes, 
lulled  by  the  surf,  we  can  listen  to  the  "great  sea 
calling  from  its  secret  depths." 

The  inquiry  is  often  made  by  those  who  have 
never  visited  here,  How  do  you  kill  time  in  that  an- 
cient city?  To  the  historian,  there  is  no  spot  so 
well  adapted  to  meditation  on  the  past,  where  asso- 
ciations are  awakened  with  greater  rapidity,  when 
the  Indians  held  undisputed  sway,  only  dreaming  of 
plenty  and  the  happy  hunting-grounds  beyond;  but, 
suddenly  as  the  Montezuma  monarch,  their  territory 
was  wrested  from  them  by  the  Spaniards,  whom 
these  unlettered  savages  at  first  regarded  as  chil- 

O  o 

dren  of  the  Great  Spirit;  but  when  the  ensigns  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         209 

authority  were  unfurled,  their  country  overran  by 
myrmidons,  and  the  power  of  their  cazique  sneered 
at,  then  the  illusion  vanished — the  truth  dawning 
that  they  were  only  sojourners  whose  presence  did 
not  add  to  the  happiness  of  the  newly  self-consti- 
tuted sovereigns  of  their  country. 

Three  distinct  classes  of  visitors  come  here — the 
defiant,  the  enthusiastic,  and  the  indifferent.  The 
defiant  spend  their  time  in  assailing,  "with  vehement 
irony,"  every  thing  with  which  they  are  placed  in 
contact,  ringing  changes  upon  any  thing  disagree- 
able to  them,  until  their  companions  are  wearied 
beyond  measure.  The  enthusiastic  rise  more  or 
less  on  the  wings  of  their  fertile  imagination,  when 
exaggerated  accounts,  highly  colored,  are  written 
about  Florida  as  it  appeared  to  them — the  change 
from  the  North  to  a  land  clothed  in  the  perpetual 
verdure  of  spring-time  being  so  great,  they  were 
enraptured  in  a  manner  that  others  of  less  delicate 
susceptibilities  have  failed  to  realize.  The  indiffer- 
ent tourist  is  an  anomaly  to  everybody.  "Why  he 
ever  thought  of  leaving  home  to  travel,  when  with 
his  undemonstrative  nature  he  appears  so  oblivious 
to  all  scenes  and  sights  around  him,  is  an  unsolved 
problem.  He  maintains  an  unbroken  reticence  on 
every  occasion,  the  mantle  of  silence  being  thrown 
about  all  his  movements,  while  his  general  appear- 
ance evinces  the  same  amount  of  refinement  as  a 
polar  bear,  his  perceptive  powers  the  acuteness  of  an 
oyster,  his  stupidity  greater  than  Balaam's  saddle- 
animal. 

St.  Augustine,  1870. — The  minds  of  the  citizens 
10 


210          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

and  visitors  in  the  city  have  been  on  the  qui  vive  for 
several  clays,  in  anticipation  of  witnessing  the  reali- 
ties, in  miniature,  connected  with  a  buffalo-chase  on 
the  prairies,  in  which  princes  from  Europe  have  par- 
ticipated, regarding  it  as  the  crowning  feat  of  their 
exploits  in  the  New  World.  For  days  previous  la- 
dies were  discussing  the  propriety  of  their  presence, 
as  the  animal  might  be  so  unmanageable  as  to  im- 
peril their  safety;  very  brave  lads,  who  have  been 
sufficiently  courageous  to  fire  a  pistol  at  an  alligator 
while  in  Florida,  thought  they  might  be  safe  in  the 
fort  if  they  were  to  climb  upon  the  walls,  and  very 
small  boys  concluded  their  fathers  would  keep  the 
buffalo  from  hurting  them. 

Long  before  3  o'clock  the  fort  was  enlivened  by 
those  bent  on  sight -seeing.  Here  were  the  richly- 
dressed  ladies  and  their  escorts,  with  New-York- 
style  mustaches,  where  only  a  restricted  smile  ever 
rested,  gazing  through  their  eye-glasses  toward  every 
thing  that  came  near  enough  for  them  to  take  sight 
at,  as  though  a  fixed  stare  through  optical  instru- 
ments was  more  excusable  and  allowable  than  with 
the  naked  eye.  Children  of  all  sizes  and  colors  came 
in  crowds.  There  were  more  old  people  present, 
whose  silvery  hair  looked  like  a  "crown  of  glory," 
than  could  be  seen  in  any  other  town  at  once  in  the 
United  States.  Like  Ponce  cle  Leon,  they  visit  St. 
Augustine  in  search  of  the  famous  waters  which 
would  give  back  their  youth,  restore  and  strengthen 
their  feeble  limbs  with  renewed  vigor,  that  would 
be  perpetual  as  the  verdure  and  beauty  by  which 
they  are  surrounded.  Nor  are  they  disappointed  in 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          211 

all  respects;  for  if  they  do  not  grow  younger,  they 
prolong  their  days  to  enjoy  more  of  God's  pure  air 
and  sunlight,  mingled  with  the  perfume  of  flowers 
and  singing  of  sweet  birds,  than  they  would  in  their 
own  homes. 

As  the  time  for  the  chase  approached,  painted  In- 
dians peered  from  every  part  of  the  fort,  most  of 
them  dressed  in  full  costume,  their  heads  trimmed 
with  feathers  from  birds  of  varied  plumage,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  which  was  the  American  turkey-tail. 
They  were  wrapped  in  gaily -colored  blankets,  pro- 
fusely trimmed  with  beads,  all  of  which  trailed  in 
a  very  negligee  manner,  while  they  seemed  as  much 
excited  with  the  surroundings  as  any  of  the  specta- 
tors. The  Indians  regard  death  with  much  less  ter- 
ror than  do  the  whites.  They  say  that  if  in  hunting 
a  horse  falls  and  kills  them,  they  will  go  where  game 
is  abundant,  always  living  there  —  thus,  like  the 
Christian,  making  death  the  golden  gate  to  glory. 

No  bugle  echoed  through  the  woodlands  wild  as  a 
signal  for  the  chase  to  commence,  nor  well-trained 
dogs,  with  the  lead-hound  barking  fiercely  from  the 
excitement  of  a  fresh  trail  which  indicated  a  near 
approach  to  game.  Their  captain,  to  whom  real 
buffalo-hunts  on  the  boundless  prairies  are  no  nov- 
elty, led  the  van,  followed  by  four  painted,  gaily- 
dressed,  full -rigged  Indians.  They  all  rode  as 
though  their  homes  were  in  the  saddle,  and  swiftly 
as  if  bright  visions  of  fleet-footed  game  were  feed- 
ing in  green  fields,  only  waiting  to  be  captured  by 
being  shot  at  with  their  well-aimed  arrows.  They 
made  some  fine  exhibitions  of  horsemanship,  pecul- 


212          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

iar  to  their  methods  of  warfare  and  hunting.  In 
riding,  they  described  circles,  as  if  surrounding  a  foe 
in  ambush,  at  the  same  time  discharging  their  ar- 
rows, at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  with  great 
accuracy,  while  their  horses  were  running  at  full 
speed.  Their  arrows  perforated  a  small  building, 
which  they  used  as  a  target,  penetrating  so  far  they 
could  not  be  removed  without  being  broken.  Gath- 
ered in  groups  outside  the  fort,  near  the  hunting- 
ground,  were  many  boys  and  young  men  of  the 
more  daring  class,  who  displayed  their  bravery  by  a 
foot-race  which  put  Weston,  or  any  other  walker, 
in  the  shade,  whenever  the  buffalo  looked  toward 
them.  Every  thing  was  a  success,  except  the  buf- 
falo, which  was  a  small  steer,  that  would  not  scare 
on  any  account.  He  was  entirely  too  gentle  for  the 
fever-heat  of  excitement  to  which  the  feelings  and 
imagination  of  the  crowd  had  been  wrought  up. 
He  shook  his  head  once  or  twice,  and  started  as 
though  he  might  create  a  sensation,  but  would  not 
keep  far  enough  ahead  for  the  hunters  to  make  any 
thing  like  a  good  charge  on  him.  Finally  an  ar- 
row, sped  from  the  bow  of  White  Horse,  pierced 
his  vitals  to  the  depth  of  four  or  five  inches,  killing 
him  instantly.  His  throat  was  then  cut,  after  which 
he  was  dressed  and  hauled  into  the  fort,  where  ample 
preparations  were  made  for  his  reception,  with  im- 
mense fires  and  kettles  of  hot  water.  Some  of  the 
Indians  ate  the  heart  and  liver  raw,  which  process 
did  not  look  very  appetizing  to  a  delicate  stomach. 
They  always  cook  their  food  before  eating  it  when 
in  their  native  wilds,  except  the  heart  and  liver, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          213 

which  they  sometimes  consume  as  a  medicine.  At 
a  given  signal  among  themselves,  those  not  engaged 
in  cooking  commenced  dancing.  In  their  move- 
ments the  poetry  of  music,  or  motion,  has  no  vota- 
ries; but  a  slight  approach  toward  it  is  made,  as 
they  all  take  the  Grecian  bend,  and  keep  it,  while 
going  through  their  gyrations.  When  weary  they 
group  together  around  the  fires,  turning  their  right 
foot  on  the  side,  and  seating  themselves  with  an 
ease  no  studied  art  could  teach  them,  and  then  they 
rest  more  free  from  care  than  the  heart  that  beats 
beneath  ermine,  or  reclines  on  velvet  cushions. 
When  their  meat  was  cooked  they  terminated  the 
day's  exercise  with  a  feast,  which  the}'  all  seemed  to 
enjoy  very  much,  each  Indian  consuming  about  four 
pounds  of  flesh,  with  a  greedy  gusto  before  which  an 
epicure  would  retire  in  disgust.  The  grand  war- 
dance  of  the  season  came  off  after  dark,  when  pris- 
oners were  captured  and  treated  with  sham  hostili- 
ties. The  mind  of  the  imaginative  could  portray 
what  would  be  done  in  reality  to  a  helpless  captive 
in  their  power. 

We  regard  these  poor  savages  as  only  a  connect- 
ing link  between  the  herd  that  roams  the  "verdant 
waste" — who  see  the  Great  Spirit  in  clouds,  and 
hear  him  in  the  crashing  storms  —  and  ourselves. 
May  we  not  inquire  if  their  condition  cannot  be  im- 
proved, and  their  voices,  which  only  shout  for  con- 
quest over  a  vanquished  enemy,  or  in  the  chase 
while  victimizing  the  huge  bufl'alo  with  bleeding, 

O  O  O  ' 

gaping  wounds,  be  taught  to  sing  the  songs  of  re- 
deeming grace  for  a  ransomed  world? 


214          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

T  no  other  town  in  the  State  is  the  enter- 
tainment for  visitors  more  of  a  success 
than  here,  and  one  of  those  pleasant  occa- 
sions brought  a  large  number  of  happy 
hearts  together,  to  witness  a  grand  open- 
ing of  the  Lunch-basket  on  the  North  Beach. 

Many  have  been  the  devices,  in  all  ages  of  the 
world,  by  every  nation  peopling  the  habitable  globe, 
for  a  relaxation  from  the  sterner  d  uties  of  life.  Among 
the  first  to  which  persons  of  various  tastes  have  re- 
sorted is  archeiy,  which  was  practiced  by  that  wild  out- 
cast, Ishmael,  "  whose  hand  was  against  every  man, 
and  every  man's  hand  against  him."  We  also  read  in 
the  Pentateuch  of  a  great  and  mighty  hunter  named 
Nimrod;  while  conspicuously  prominent  among  the 
biblical  characters  Job  poetizes  upon  drawing  large 
finny  monsters  from  the  deep  waters,  and  at  a  later 
date  in  the  same  profession  of  the  apostles. 

Many  monks  of  the  Middle  Ages  in  France  are 
said  to  have  delighted  more  in  the  chase  at  times 
than  the  "trumpet  of  the  gospel."  Bull-tights,  as 
an  amusement,  are  supposed  to  have  originated  with 
the  Moors,  and  are  still  practiced  by  the  Spaniards, 
many  of  them  being  of  Moorish  origin.  Grounds 
in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Augustine  have  been  located, 
beyond  a  doubt,  where  this  cruel  and  barbarous 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          215 

custom  was  indulged  in  by  early  Spanish  settlers. 
Archery  has  been  the  most  popular  pastime  here 
this  season.  The  Indians  have  made  the  bows  and 
arrows  for  compensation  and  employment — more  ar- 
rows having  been  thrown  by  the  "sons  of  the  for- 
est" than  hurled  from  the  shafts  of  Cupid. 

We  can  produce,  as  patrons  of  the  hook-and-line 
art,  prophets  and  apostles  in  ancient  times,  kings 
of  more  recent  date,  and  Izaak  Walton,  who  lived 
nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  down  to  the  truant 
boy  that  throws  his  bent  pin,  baited  with  an  inno- 
cent worm,  or  fly,  into  the  clear  running  brook,  at 
which  an  old  fish  looks,  as  if  about  to  nibble,  then 
wags  his  tail  and  sails  away  in  search  of  something 
that  he  can  take  in  without  being  taken  himself. 

A  very  worthy  divine,  Bishop  Hall,  has  wisely 
remarked:  "Recreation  to  the  mind  is  like  whet- 
ting to  the  scythe.  The  mind  that  is  always  mowing 
becomes  dull  for  the  sharpening  which  relaxation 
affords  it;  so  the  blade  that  is  always  cutting  is 
blunted  for  the  want  of  an  edge  that  grinding  can 
give." 

The  above  remarks  on  recreation  were  suggested 
by  an  attendance  upon  the  opening  of  the  Lunch- 
basket  on  the  North  Beach,  opposite  Anastasia  Isl- 
and, at  a  place  called  by  the  classic  name  of  Para- 
thina,  from  Homer's  "Iliad":  Eban  kerukes  para 
thina  tou  poluphloisboio  thalassees  —  "The  heralds 
went  to  the  beach  of  the  high-sounding  sea."  A 
long-looked-for  and  much-needed  means  of  convey- 
ance— a  nice  little  steamer,  called  the  Mayflower — 
has  made  us  happy  already  by  its  presence  and  busi- 


216         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ness-dispatching  movements.  She  is  a  light-running 
little  craft,  that  glides  gracefully  as  a  swan.  Sailing 
and  rowing  are  now  lost  sight  of  by  visitors  wishing 
to  take  a  little  ride  on  the  water,  as  the  wind  never 
dies  out  and  leaves  them,  or  the  oar -hands  grow 
weary,  on  a  steamer.  The  two  first  trips  she  carried 
over  seventy  passengers,  which  made  the  day  pay 
very  well. 

Mr.  J.  F.  Whitney,  who,  like  all  the  editorial  fra- 
ternity, is  ever  busy  in  trying  to  suggest  something 
for  either  mind  or  body,  being  the  prime  mover  in 
this  undertaking,  has  erected  four  pavilions,  and 
a  cook-room,  with  a  range.  One  of  the  smaller 
pavilions  is  carpeted,  supplied  with  periodicals, 
rocking-chairs,  and  a  bed  for  the  sick  to  rest.  The 
largest  pavilion  is  nearly  two  hundred  feet  in  length, 
and  over  twenty  feet  wide;  in  front  is  an  extended 
view  of  the  beach,  beyond  which  the  restless  sea  is 
rolling  up  new-born  waves  at  every  influx  of  its 
waters.  Here  are  also  detached  dining-tables  for 
the  accommodation  of  parties  coming  together.  The 
floor  is  level  and  smooth  as  it  can  be  made,  where, 
it  has  already  been  whispered, 

youth  and  pleasure  meet, 


To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet. 

The  bill  of  fare  for  the  occasion  was  equal  to  any 
New  York  restaurant.  Broiled  oysters  vanished 
with  the  ejaculation,  "Splendid!"  All  eatables 
shared  a  similar  fate,  with  a  superlative  adjective 
attached,  as  the  only  one  which  could  express  the 
gratification  of  the  guests.  Champagne- bottles 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          217 

were  relieved  of  their  sparkling  contents  in  a  brief 
period  of  time.  Ice-cream  and  pound -cake  were 
soon  reckoned  among  past  pleasures,  while  every- 
body was  eloquent  on  the  subject  of  the  surround- 
ings. 

The  Xorth  Beach  has  now  more  attractions  and 
amusements  than  any  other  point  in  the  State,  and 
when  the  arrangements  are  completed  with  a  stud  of 
riding  and  driving  horses,  it  may  well  be  styled  the 
Newport  of  the  South.  Like  Scipio  the  Great,  after 
the  repast  many  wandered  by  the  "  murmuring  sea," 
and  gathered  shells  to  take  home  with  them  as  me- 
mentoes of  pleasant  memories  in  a  sunny  clime. 

When  refined  hearts  and  well -cultivated  minds 
meet  in  a  spot  made  grand  by  the  great  Maker  of 
all  things,  and  rendered  comfortable  to  our  wants  by 
the  hand  of  Art,  where  only  God  and  his  heavenly 
wonders  have  dwelt  in  solitude  for  so  many  years, 
may  we  not  say  Scripture  is  being  fulfilled — that 
"  the  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  ? " 
Yes,  glad  with  happy  voices  in  congenial  compan- 
ionship, and  joyous  with  the  sweets  of  social  inter- 
course. It  is,  indeed,  "  a  well  in  the  desert" — a  place 
provided,  where  persons  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure 
can  assemble  and  forget  all  adverse  religious  tenets, 
political  differences,  or  personal  animosities — where 
secret  and  selfish  purposes  in  life  are  lost  sight  of — 
Avhethergold  is  up  or  down,  what  are  the  last  figures 
on  the  bulletin -boards  of  the  "bulls  and  bears," 
the  fractional  variations  of  upland  or  sea-island  cot- 
ton, being  among  the  subjects  absorbed  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  hour. 
10* 


218 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


Among  others  came  tlie  never-tiring  fisherman, 
with  reel  and  fancy  bait,  who  appeared  much  de- 
lighted with  an  opportunity  of  having  sea-room  for 
the  exhibition  of  his  skill.  He  did  not  have  to  fol- 
low the  old  rule  of  "fishing  inch  bv  inch,"  with  an 

O  i/  ' 


FLORIDA    RAY-FISH,    OK    SKATE. 

indefinite  idea  of  when  he  would  have  a  nibble. 
Here  is  an  illustration  of  his  first  bite,  which  caused 
him  to  retire,  dragging  his  prize  to  shore,  thinking, 
perhaps,  he  might  have  captured  some  Pythagorean 
metamorphosis,  as  it  resembled  neither  fish  nor 


Petals  Flacked  from  Sunny  Climes.          219 

flesh.  Upon  summoning  those  present  to  his  relief, 
the  following  decision  was  rendered:  A  ray-fish,  or 
skate,  having  a  cartilaginous  body,  of  nearly  a  white 
color,  with  pectoral  tins  largely  developed,  the  cau- 
dal extremity  being  elongated  into  a  whip-like  form, 
armed  with  spine,  which  makes  it  an  ugly  customer 
for  collision.  The  female,  being  oviparous,  is  pro- 
vided with  parchment-like  cases,  forming  an  exten- 
sion, called  by  seamen  "sailor's  purses." 

The  moon  rose  that  night  and  looked  down  upon 
a  joyous  crowd  seated  on  the  Mayflower,  with  a 
tine  band  from  the  St.  Augustine  Hotel.  Music  on 
the  water — who  can  describe  its  enchanting  influ- 
ences !  It  was  his^h  tide  when  we  arrived  on  the 

O 

North  Beach,  when  planks  were  put  out  for  the  party 
to  walk  on,  while  the  gentlemen  and  steamer-crew 
assisted  them  to  the  shore.  One  lady  remarked,  in 
crossing,  "  Sometimes  I  take  a  black  hand,  and  then 
a  white  one."  We  were  not  particular  about  color 
then ;  it  was  strong  hands  we  wanted  to  keep  us 
from  falling  in  the  water,  as  the  waves  were  washing 
over  our  feet.  The  band  played  sweetly,  the  danc- 
ing was  graceful,  the  refreshments  abundant.  When 
returning,  the  last  trip,  the  steamer  grounded  on  a 
sand-bar,  as  it  was  ebb-tide,  when  the  Captain  of 
the  Bache  Survey  steamer  kindlj7  sent  his  long-boat 
and  brought  us  all  to  the  wharf. 

St.  Augustine,  March,  1877. — The  work  of  enliv- 
ening the  old  town,  for  the  delectation  of  visitors 
and  excursionists  from  other  points,  was  undertaken 
here  to-day.  Everybody  was  merry,  and  it  was 
almost  incredible  to  see  the  number  of  dignified 


220          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

persons,  on  other  occasions,  so  completely  carried 
along  with  the  tide  of  simple  sight.  All,  appar- 
ently, had  their  laugh  set  on  trigger,  ready  to  go  off 
with  the  slightest  vibration  in  the  air.  The  streets 
and  sea-wall  of  St.  Augustine,  together  with  the 
balconies,  windows,  and  doors,  in  the  vicinity,  were 
the  scene  of  preparation  for  a  grand  gala-day  of 
sight- seeing.  The  vessels  in  the  harhor  were 
dressed  in  flags  of  every  nationality,  and  waved 
free  as  the  winds  that  tossed  them  to  and  fro.  The 
post -band  played  stirring  strains,  containing  irfore 
sound  than  sweetness,  to  quicken  the  impulses  of 
the  occasion.  At  a  given  signal,  cannons  were 
fired,  when  a  fleet  of  snowy  sails  shot  out  from  the 
wharf,  resembling  a  flock  of  sea-gulls.  The  yacht- 
racing  opened  the  day's  sport.  They  all  sailed 
swiftly  when  first  under  way,  but  one  after  another 
kept  falling  off  and  dropping  behind,  until  the  Wan- 
derer and  Semiuole  were  left  alone  to  decide  the  con- 
test. They  moved  like  something  possessed  with  life, 
more  than  canvas  spread  to  the  breeze  for  power  to 
propel  them.  Finally  the  Wanderer  won,  amid  the 
wildest  shouts  of  joy  from  every  side,  and  many  con- 
gratulations for  the  owner.  The  cannons  fired  with 
as  much  demonstration  as  though  a  great  battle  had 
just  been  decided.  A  horse-race  was  announced  as 
the  next  excitement.  Eight  jockey -dressed  men 
and  boys  of  different  hues,  mounted  on  bare- 
backed horses  of  undistinguishable  pedigree,  but 
marsh  tackey  predominant,  were  ready  for  the  cur- 
riculum. They  darted  off  with  the  speed  of  a  Gre- 
cian hippodrome,  when  they  imitated  the  gait  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          221 

almost  every  untrained  quadruped.  On  the  home- 
stretch two -of  the  riders  rolled  oft'  easily,  as  though 
it  was  a  portion  of  the  programme  for  which  they 
were  prepared.  Then  came  the  hurdle-race,  with 
the  hurdles  woven  from  cedar  and  scantling.  The 
running  was  sport,  but  the  jumping  was  without 
comparison.  One  of  the  horses  caught  his  feet  and 
plunged  over,  rider  and  horse  together,  but,  neither 
being  hurt,  everybody  shouted  with  glee.  Another 
of  the  Arabian  steeds  carried  the  hurdles  off  victo- 
rious with  his  hind  feet,  but  did  not  fall.  A  foot- 
race by  the  Indians  was  then  declared  with  as  much 
gravity  as  though  a  Grecian  contestant,  after  all  the 
abstinence  and  training  of  an  ancient  athlete,  pro- 
posed to  try  his  strength  and  speed  for  a  victor's 
crown.  Three  or  four  big  Indians,  dressed  with 
fancy  caps  and  moccasins,  walked  to  the  pedestrian 
race -grounds,  after  which  one  started  to  run,  but 
fell.  The  crowd  was  too  big  for  them,  and  the  re- 
ward too  small.  T\vo  of  the  natives  took  their 
places,  and  made  very  good  time,  but  not  quite 
equal  to  a  professional  walker.  Then  came  the 
hand-barrow  race,  with  that  unhistoric  vehicle 
about  which  poets  never  sing.  Ten  black  boys, 
with  ten  bright  bandages  over  their  eyes,  started  to 
run  a  race  across  the  east  side  of  the  plaza.  They 
all  commenced  at  the  word  three,  the  band  played, 
the  people  shouted,  while  the  boys  ran  ;  the  wheel- 
barrows were  running  a  race,  arid  so  was  everybody 
else.  One  boy  went  into  the  river-basin  before  he 
could  be  stopped;  another  rushed  against  a  car- 
riage, and  set  the  horses  to  kicking  and  the  ladies 


222          Petals  Plucked  from  Sumy  Clinics. 

to  screaming;  a  man  was  knocked  down  and  run 
over — he  was  a  prirn,  particular  bachelor,  with  lino 
estates,  whose  birthday  is  best  known  to  himself — it 
required  the  combined  efforts  of  two  servants  to  brush 
the  sand  from  his  clothes  and  place  him  in  presenta- 
ble trim  again.  Everybody  in  the  vicinity  was  liable 
to  be  under  moving  orders  without  a  moment's  warn- 
ing. Finally  the  race  ended,  and  the  victor  crowned 
with  greenbacks,  which  he  could  appreciate  more 
highly  than  the  laureate  wreath  of  a  conqueror, 
fresh  from  the  goal  with  his  coronet  of  fading  glo- 
ries. 

The  last  performance  was  the  greasy  pole,  with  a 
fat  ham  on  the  top  of  it,  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
plaza.  What  a  climbing,  scrambling,  and  tum- 
bling down,  amid  exclamations  from  the  boys: 
"  Bob,  what  made  you  let  go  ?  "  "  Tom,  go  up,  and 
I  will  hold  you!"  "Put  on  more  sand,  and  then 
we  can  climb!"  The  plaza  was  crowded  with 
spectators  —  scores  of  grandparents,  all  clapping 
thejr  hands  and  laughing — large  families,  with  all 
their  children,  were  there.  The  scene  before  them 
required  no  explanation.  Finally,  after  a  struggle 
of  two  hours,  the  ham  and  money  were  won,  when 
all  retired  from  the  varied  and  innocent  sports  of 
the  day. 

St.  Augustine  demonstrates  the  fact,  beyond  a 
doubt,  that  the  cat  is  a  musical  animal.  They  sit 
under  your  window's,  climb  on  the  neighboring 
roofs,  scream  in  any  strain,  from  the  lowest  bass  to 
the  loudest  soprano,  and  never  tire  until  the  stars 
pale  in  the  sky;  do  not  become  dismayed  because 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          223 

a  few  pieces  ofcoqnina  are  thrown  at  them,  glass  bot- 
tles, or  old  boots — that  only  causes  a  change  of  po- 
sition, when  the  voice  rises  an  octave  higher,  on  ac- 
count of  the  escape  from  a  little  adventure.  Here 
they  congregate  in  crowds;  they  rehearse  their  ex- 
ploits in  excited  strains,  with  untiring  assiduity,  for 
the  entertainment  of  visitors,  to  prevent  their  re- 
ceiving the  impression  that  St.  Augustine  is  a  dull 
old  place.  Then  the  digestive  organs  of  the  de- 
parted are  manufactured,  and  made  to  imitate  the 
same  dulcet  tones  in  the  halls  of  mirth,  where  so 
many  derive  pleasure,  by  turning  themselves  into 
more  shapes  than  a  captured  sea- eel.  At  the  St. 
Augustine  Hotel  they  swallow  all  kinds  of  condi- 
ments to  the  sounds  coming  from  these  membra- 
nous strings,  stretched  beyond  all  marks  of  their 

O      '  v 

former  identity.  With  a  satisfied  smile,  and  no 
fears  from  indigestion,  the  invalid  or  consumptive 
consumes  every  variety  of  food,  whether  from  land 
or  sea,  compounded  into  the  latest  styles  of  the 
cuisine,  to  the  music  of  "//  Bachio"  or  "A  place 
in  thy  memory,  dearest!"  while  ice-cream  vanishes 
like  dew  to  the  melody,  ''Thou  art  so  near,  and  yet 
so  far!"  or  ''Some  one  to  love  me! ' 


224          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

•HE  longevity  for  which  the  inhabitants  of 
St.  Augustine  have  been  remarkable  is  a 
proof  of  its  heal thfuln ess;  indeed,  the  te- 
nacity with  which  they  cling  to  life,  as  well 
as  the  uncomplaining  manner  in  which 
they  endure  every  thing,  is  really  wonderful.  Sev- 
eral years  since,  an  aged  lady,  who  had  been  help- 
less for  years  before  her  death,  remarked  that  Death 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  her — she  remained  here  so 
long. 

Some  who  have  heretofore  imagined  that  St.  Au- 
gustine had  no  attractions  but  its  antiquity  must  re- 
member that  new  industries  are  constantly  being 
developed,  among  the  most  recent  of  which  is  the 
manufacture  of  marmalade  and  wine  from  the  native 
wild  orange  fruit.  We  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting 

O  1  O 

both  these  enterprising  establishments  —  first  the 
marmalade  factory,  in  charge  of  Seiior  S. 'B.  Vails, 
a  Cuban  exile.  His  father,  Seiior  Jose  Vails,  under 
the  well-known  brand  of  "El  Pavo  Heal,  Fabricada 
de  Dulces,"  or  Sweetmeat  and  Guava  Jelly-maker, 
in  Havana,  has  won  a  world-wide  reputation,  hav- 
ing received  the  Paris  Exposition  medal,  1867.  His 
method  is  original,  and  his  sweetmeats  better  adapt- 
ed to  the  American  taste  than  those  of  Scotch  make. 
The  enterprise  has  met  with  great  success,  the  de- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         225 

mand  always  exceeding  the  supply,  and  the  moderate 
charges^being  also  an  attractive  feature.  He  pre- 
serves lemons,  limes,  and  figs  in  such  a  manner  that 
they  will  keep  for  years.  He  makes  an  orange- 
bloom  cordial,  which  must  be,  without  doubt,  the 
original  nectar  of  the  gods;  for  certainly  there  is 
nothing  like  it,  the  flavor  perfectly  resembling  the 
odor  of  the  orange-blossom ;  the  sensation  produced 
in  swallowing  it  is  like  sailing  on  a  summer  sea. 

The  orange -wine  manufactured  by  Genovar  & 
Brother  well  deserves  to  supplant  the  miserable, 
adulterated,  yeasty  preparations  which  are  sold  and 
drunk  daily  by  those  whose  minds  are  afterward  in 
a  constant  state  of  doubt  as  to  the  amount  of  harm 
incurred  by  the  potion  imbibed. 

It  is  April,  and  the  season  has  arrived  when  vis- 
itors commence  leaving;  all  amusements  in  which 
they  delighted  have  become  stale — even  the  yacht- 
races,  which  contributed  so  largely  to  the  entertain- 
ment of  those  fond  of  boating;  while  outsiders  are 
constantly  under  the  impression  that  the  boats  are 
trying  to  tack  for  another  course,  making  an  effort 
to  anchor,  or  turning  in  for  a  nap. 

The  Southern  Indians  imprisoned  here  for  the 
past  three  years  have  been  a  subject  of  comment 
and  amusement  for  most  of  the  visitors,  while  their 
presence  in  the  city  was  any  thing  but  desirable  to 
certain  aggrieved  persons,  who  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing an  escape-valve  for  their  feelings  by  the  follow- 
ing expressions,  printed  in  the  Savannah  Morning 
News,  entitled,  "A  Page  from  the  Unwritten  History 
of  the  Ancient  City": 


226          Petals  Plucked  from,  Sunny  Climes. 

"St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  March  4,  1878.— While  the 
prominent  points  in  St.  Augustine,  which. present 
themselves  to  visitors,  are  written  threadbare,  there 
is  an  undercurrent,  although  felt  by  the  suffering, 
that  has  never  been  stirred  by  the  anxious  inquirers 
after  information.  It  is  God's  poor — those  reduced 
by  circumstances  over  which  they  have  no  control. 
Many  exclaim,  Lo!  the  poor  Indian;  hut  none  con- 
sider the  avenues  to  employment  which  the  presence 
of  these  scalping,  murdering,  human  heart -eaters, 
are  causing  in  this  water -locked  city  by  the  sea. 
When  teaching  the  Indian  to  appreciate  the  value 
of  a  Government  which  proposes  to  protect  them,  at 
the  same  time  enabling  them  to  participate  in  all  the 
privileges  of  an  enlightened  organization,  why  can- 
not they  be  made  self-sustaining,  and  hired  out,  as 
other  convicts?  What  heroic  deeds  of  greatness 
have  they  ever  achieved,  that  they  should  be  treated 
like  prisoners  of  State,  instead  of  inhuman  fiends, 
at  whose  record  of  crime  Satan  would  grin  with  de- 
light? Many  of  them  are  permitted  to  roam  with 
freedom,  not  only  in  eveiy  portion  of  the  city,  but 
in  the  country  around,  thus  terrifying  timid  citizens 
with  their  presence,  causing  them  to  change  their 
habitations  to  the  town  for  protection.  While  they 
are  fed  and  clothed  by  the  Government,  free,  they 
hire  themselves  out  at  lower  wages  than  poor  labor- 
ers can  work  for,  and  be  sustained.  This  has  be- 
come a  great  source  of  grievance  to  the  community, 
which  they  desire  to  have  redressed  by  their  removal. 
Much  of  the  money  they  make  is  only  to  buy  food 
for  a  pampered  taste,  which  has  been  acquired  since 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          227 

they  came  here,  and  not  to  sustain  their  existence. 
If  labor  has  to  compete  with  crime,  the  hand  of  in- 
dustry with  the  bloody  hand,  where  is  the  hope  on 
which  honesty  is  to  hinge  and  work  its  way  through 
the  world?  The  whole  can  be  told  in  a  few  words: 
While  these  sixt}-  savages  are  here  being  employed 
in  every  department  of  manual  labor,  thus  taking 
the  bread  from  the  mouths  of  dependent  women  and 
children,  it  is  productive  of  suffering  in  our  midst, 
whilst  those  advanced  in  life  look  in  vain  for  a  sup- 
port to  their  sons,  whose  hands  are  tied  by  these 
savage  oppressors." 

Two  weeks  after  the  news  of  the  pope's  death  had 
been  received  in  other  cities,  and  the  drapery  of 
mourning  become  dusty,  the  cathedral  bells  here 
commenced  tolling  at  sunrise,  and  continued  the 
entire  day  until  dusk.  The  chimes  in  Rome  were 
never  struck  with  more  regularity,  and  when  the 

O  v   ' 

sun  sank  to  his  home  in  the  west  a  sigh  of  relief 
was  felt,  that  every  thing  has  an  end.  If  the  day 
was  spent  by  the  Catholics  in  mourning  for  the  pope, 
the  night  was  spent  by  the  visitors  in  giving  expres- 
sion to  the  most  jubilant  demonstrations  of  joy — 
the  festivities  being  gotten  up  by  the  Yacht  Club, 
which  appears  to  be  the  only  central  live-figure  head- 
light in  the  city  now.  On  this  occasion  the  Yacht 
House  was  illuminated  with  Chinese  lanterns,  which 
encircled  it  over  the  water's  edge;  calcium  lights 
blazed  with  overpowering  brilliancy,  and  the  most 
dazzling  rockets  shot  through  the  air  like  meteors, 
while  the  brass  band  discoursed  very  loud,  stirring 
strains,  and  the  little  boats  glided  about  on  the  bay, 


228          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

like  ignes-fatui,  with  lights  suspended  on  their  masts 
or  on  their  bows,  glittering  through  the  darkness, 
resembling  a  distant  constellation.  With  the  free- 
dom of  uncaged  birds,  fresh  from  bondage,  every 
one  appeared  buoyant,  giving  themselves  up  to  the 
pleasure  of  the  hour  with  a  kind  of  abandon  as  if, 
after  all,  it  might  be  a  panoramic  view  produced  by 
some  Eastern  Magi.  After  the  illumination  on  the 
water  was  ended,  the  string-band  commenced  play- 
ing, when  busy  feet  kept  time  to  the  harp  and  viol, 
without  a  thought  of  the  confessional  which  would 
have  to  be  met  before  the  next  sacrament. 

For  a  few  days  past  the  weather  has  been  rather 
capricious,  the  sunshine  hidden  behind  damp  clouds, 
and  the  wind  more  boisterous  than  sight-seekers  en- 
joy. We  imagine  some  of  the  tourists'  note-books 
are  full  enough  of  complaints.  The  weather  is  de- 
licious now,  the  air  all  balm,  the  sky  all  blue,  the 
bananas  waving  in  the  gentlest  of  breezes,  the  sea 
heaving  softly  under  the  sunlight.  We  shall  miss 
this  changeful  sea  at  St.  Agustine,  the  reviving  air, 
the  lovely  palms,  the  mocking-bird  upon  whose  hap- 
piness the  day  closed  too  soon,  as  from  his  perch  in 
a  neighboring  orange-tree  he  trills  his  song  of  joy 
until  the  night  is  far  spent. 

St.  Augustine,  April,  1878.  —  The  Indians  have 
gone!  Yes,  the  pets  of  some  and  the  pests  of 
others  have  left  St.  Augustine  amidst  the  sympa- 
thetic demonstrations  of  a  crowd,  followed  by  the 
best  wishes  of  all,  that  they  may  arrive  safely  at 
their  points  of  destination.  The  marks  of  improve- 
ment are  evident  on  the  outside  of  them;  but  none 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          229 

need  nurse  the  delusion  that  it  has  struck  in.  On 
being  asked  what  they  were  going  to  do  with  their 
clothes  when  they  went  West,  they  replied,  with  a 
symbolic  jerk,  "Tear  them  off',  and  throw  them 
away!"  Think  of  Mrs.  Black  Horse  and  Mochi, 
with  their  heads  dressed  in  fashionable  Mother 
Goose  hats,  with  plumes  and  white  tissue  veils, 
that  had  been  given  them  by  lady -visitors,  their 
bodies  rolled  up  in  a  buffalo -skin,  before  a  camp- 
fire,  after  a  long  march  in  the  rain,  or  fresh  from  a 
war-dance,  with  the  dripping  scalps  of  white  men 
hung  from  their  waists  as  trophies  of  bloody  tri- 
umphs! They  were  delighted  at  the  prospect  of 
freedom ;  beating  against  rock  walls  and  prison-bars 
was  too  much  pressure  for  them — to  which  they 
yielded  in  sullen  despair.  They  left  their  literature 
— religious  picture-books  and  buffalo-hunts  not  be- 
ing in  harmony — "Moody  and  Sankey"  song-books 
suddenly  losing  all  charm  for  them,  "Hold  the 
Fort"  being  changed  to  "Leave  the  Fort."  They 
said,  "Me  man,  no  school."  Some  of  them  could 
speak  Spanish,  and  while  here  learned  a  little  En- 
glish. They  corresponded  with  their  kindred  on  the 
plains  by  picture-writing.  A  lady -visitor  wished 
Minimic,  or  Eagle's  Head,  to  give  her  a  letter  writ- 
ten him  by  his  wife,  when  he  replied,  "  What  white 
squaw  do  with  my  squaw's  letter?"  The  poetry  of 
the  idea  was  evidently  lost  on  him. 

The  "noble  red  man"  of  the  novel-writer  and 
these  coarse  savages,  whose  rough  nature  repels  all 
polish,  are  quite  different.  Three  of  these  Indians, 
who  have  taken  to  the  customs  of  the  whites  more 


230          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes, 

kindly  than  the  others,  are  to  be  sent  North  and  ed- 
ucated, the  expense  incurred  being  the  enterprise  of 
private  individuals. 

A  year  previous  to  their  departure,  while  the  work 
of  civilization  was  supposed  to  be  progressing  very 
rapidly,  in  the  midst  of  untiring  efforts  on  the  part 
of  Church-missionaries  to  convert  them,  one  of  the 
tribes  was  discovered  plotting  mutiny.  They  could 
not  endure  the  strain  of  civilization — it  was  too  much 
for  them.  White  Horse,  chief  of  the  Kiowas,  reck- 
oning the  number  of  moons  long  past  since  he  had 
the  promise  of  freedom,  excited  an  insurrectionary 
movement  among  the  Kiowas,  twenty-four  in  num- 
ber. When  their  intentions  were  manifested  by  in- 
subordination, a  squad  of  armed  soldiers  were  or- 
dered from  the  barracks  to  seize  them  after  they  had 
entered  their  mess-room  in  the  casemate.  The  In- 
dians were  marched  out  in  pairs,  and  searched,  to 
which  they  submitted  without  resistance.  A  num- 
ber of  barbed,  steel-pointed  arrows,  and  pistols,  were 
found  on  their  persons.  They  did  not  intend  a  gen- 
eral massacre ;  only  those  who  opposed  them  in  their 
efforts  to  escape  were  to  be  murdered.  The  fort  was 
closed  for  a  day  or  two  only,  when  White  Horse  and 
his  principal  accomplices  —  Lone  Wolf,  Woman's 
Heart,  and  To-Zance  —  were  put  in  irons.  These 
Indians  pined  for  their  homes;  their  lofty,  aristo- 
cratic natures  revolted  against  the  discipline  to 
which  they  were  subjected,  as  unmanly  and  un- 
suited  to  the  dignity  of  a  warrior,  who  had  roamed 
with  unrestrained  movements  over  the  plains,  free 
as  the  herd  which  he  killed.  Most  of  the  Indians, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          231 

while  here,  employed  their  time  in  making  bows  and 
arrows,  and  polishing  sea-beans,  while  the  women 
worked  over  old  bead  moccasins,  and  freshened 
them  up  with  new  soles  and  buckskin  linings,  all 
of  which  were  bartered  to  visitors  —  thus  making 
their  bondage  more  endurable,  besides  furnishing 
themselves  with  pocket-money. 

As  in  time  past,  the  old  fort,  that  has  lifted  its 
turrets  unmoved  for  centuries  to  the  fierce  gales 
which  visit  the  coast,  will  again  become  the  home 
of  the  lizard,  a  resort  for  bats,  the  abode  of  the  owl, 
whose  shrill  screechings  and  weird  movements  make 
the  darkness  of  night  more  suggestive  of  a  ghoul- 
haunted  castle,  where  unhappy  spirits  are  supposed 
to  assemble, when  "coarser spirits  wrapped  in  clay" 
are  snoring  to  the  ascending  and  descending  scale  of 
unwritten  sounds. 

Opposite  St.  Augustine  is  situated  St.  Anastasia 
Island,  which  was  named  for  a  celebrated  saint  in 
the  Roman  calendar  of  favorites.  On  this  island  is 
found  the  coquina,  or  shell -rock,  from  which  the 
fort  and  many  of  the  houses  were  built;  here  also 
roam  the  fleet-footed  deer,  catamount,  and  wild  hog. 
At  low  tide  the  ponies  and  marsh-cows  resort  here 
to  feed  upon  the  long  grass  which  grows  so  luxu- 
riantly at  all  seasons.  The  cattle,  while  in  pursuit 
of  it,  frequently  become  bogged,  and  die;  but  the 
horses,  when  reared  here,  are  not  so  unfortunate, 
being  lighter  and  more  nimble-footed;  when  they 
get  beyond  their  depth,  and  are  sinking,  they  throw 
themselves  on  their  sides,  and  commence  flounder- 
ing and  rolling  until  they  find  a  surface  sufficiently 


232          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

solid  to  sustain  their  weight,  when  they  rise  and  qui- 
etly resume  eating,  as  though  nothing  had  occurred. 
Like  all  other  places  in  this  vicinity,  it  has  historic 
records.  It  was  here,  in  1740,  General  Oglethorpe 
erected  a  battery  of  five  pieces,  four  of  which  were 
eighteen-pounders.  When  he  had  made  the  prepa- 
rations necessary  for  an  attack  on  St.  Augustine,  he 
gave  the  Spanish  Governor  an  invitation  to  surren- 
der. General  Oglethorpe  received  the  reply  that  he 
would  "be  glad  to  shake  hands  with  him  in  the 
castle." 

The  new  light-house  stands  on  this  island — being 
constructed  because  the  old  one  was  found  to  be  un- 
dermining by  the  action  of  the  waves.  The  old 
coquina  light -house  was  designed  to  subserve  the 
double  purpose  of  a  fortress  and  a  beacon,  having 
strong  walls  and  loop-holes,  with  a  cannon  on  its 
summit,  to  be  tired  as  a  signal  on  the  approach  of  a 
vessel.  At  night  a  light- wood  tire  was  kept  burn- 
ing, which  could  be  seen  by  vessels  at  sea  for  several 
miles. 

On  the  coast  below  St.  Augustine,  surrounded  by 
the  briny  waves,  some  distance  from  shore,  bursts  up 
a  fresh- water  spring,  from  which  ships  can  obtain 
their  supplies  before  going  to  sea.  This  remarkable 
fountain  of  fresh  water  is  produced  from  one  of  those 
subterranean  currents  so  frequent  throughout  the 
State,  north  of  the  Everglades,  coming  to  the  sur- 
face only  when  they  reach  a  point  considerably  be- 
low the  level  of  their  sources,  sometimes  forming 
lakes,  and  at  others  channeling  their  way  to  the  sea. 

The  coral  reefs,  so  abundant  in  Florida,  are  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          233 

work  of  a  tiny  insect  winch  operates  only  under 
water,  after  which  the  water  deposits  the  lime  that 
constitutes  the  limestone  of  Florida — many  portions 
of  the  State  having  been  subject  to  upheaval  since 
the  deposit  of  lime  between  the  coral  reefs.  This 


W§^^B 


FLORIDA    REEF    CORAL. 


lime  formation  being  undoubtedly  very  recent,  and 
having  little  solidity,  is  entered  by  the  surface-water, 
which  forms  channels  through  it;  thus,  by  the  force 
of  accumulated  waters,  it  reaches  the  sea,  these 


11 


234          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 
channels  beino-  constantly  enlarged  by  the  lime  com- 

o  •/  o  ft/ 

bining  with  the  water,  together  with  the  abrading 
action  of  the  currents;  and  when  the  rock  is  so 
weakened  as  to  be  unable  to  support  the  weight 
above,  it  falls,  and  the  lime-sink  is  formed,  or  fresh- 
water springs,  with  no  feeders  on  the  surface,  but 
supplied  from  below,  burst  up  in  mid-ocean,  with 
sufficient  force  to  displace  the  denser  salt-water,  or 
change  the  position  of  a  vessel. 

About  sixty  miles  below  St.  Augustine,  at  Fort 
Moultrie,  a  council  was  held  by  the  whites,  in  1823, 
for  the  purpose  of  limiting  the  movements  of  the 
Seminoles  to  the  southern  portion  of  the  State,  thus 
interposing  a  white  element  between  them  and  the 
Georgia  Indians,  to  prevent  an  alliance  in  the  event 
of  war. 

The  Indians  were  the  Nimrods  of  our  country; 
they  did  not  require  large  bodies  of  land  for  cult- 
ure. The  murder  of  Mclntosh,  in  Georgia,  caused 
many  of  the  Indians  to  leave  that  State  for  Florida. 
Here  they  were  called  Seminoles,  or  runaways,  be- 
ing only  refugees  and  fugitives,  without  a  country 
or  language.  They  adopted  a  dialect  resembling 
the  four  Southern  Indian  tongues  of  which  they 
formed  a  part — it  being  still  retained  by  the  rem- 
nant of  the  tribe  inhabiting  the  Everglades. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          235 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
the  followiug  account  we  can 

^ 

ine  under  what  difficulties  young  men  went 
on  hunting- excursions  a  century  since  in 
Florida : 

"  The  Spanish  Governor's  son,  living  in  St.  Au- 
gustine, together  with  two  other  young  men,  ar- 
ranged a  trip  on  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  hunt- 
ing and  fishing.  Being  provided  with  a  conven- 
ient bark,  ammunition,  fishing-tackle,  etc.,  they  set 
sail,  directing  their  course  south,  toward  the  point 
of  Florida,  putting  in  to  shore  and  sailing  up  rivers, 
as  a  conveniency  or  the  prospect  of  game  invited 
them.  The  pleasing  rural  and  diversified  scenes  of 
the  Florida  coast  imperceptibly  allured  them  far  to 
the  south  beyond  the  fortified  post.  Unfortunate 
youths !  regardless  of  the  advice  of  their  parents  and 
friends,  they  entered  a  harbor  at  evening,  with  a 
view  of  chasing  the  roebuck,  and  hunting  up  the 
sturdy  bear,  or  solacing  themselves  with  delicious 
fruits,  and  reposing  under  aromatic  shades,  when, 
alas !  cruel  and  unexpected  event — in  the  beatific 
moments  of  their  slumbers  they  are  surrounded, 
arrested,  and  carried  off  by  a  band  of  predatory 
Creek  Indians,  who  are  proud  to  capture  so  rich  a 
prize.  They  are  hurried  into  bondage,  being  con- 
ducted, by  devious  paths  through  dreary  swamps 
and  boundless  savannahs,  to  the  Nation." 


236          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

It  was  at  this  time  the  Indians  were  at  furious 
war  with  the  Spaniards — scarcely  any  bounds  set  to 
their  cruelties  on  either  side ;  in  short,  the  youths 
were  condemned  to  be  burnt.  An  attempt  was 
made  to  rescue  them,  by  some  English  traders, 
from  their  unrelenting  persecutors,  who  petitioned 
the  Indians  in  their  behalf,  offering  a  great  ransom 
for  their  release,  acquainting  them,  at  the  same 
time,  that  they  were  young  men  of  high  rank,  and 
one  of  them  the  governor's  son.  Upon  this  the 
head-men  or  chiefs  of  the  whole  Nation  were  con- 
vened, and,  after  solemn  and  mature  deliberation, 
they  returned  the  traders  their  final  answer  and  de- 
termination, which  was  as  follows  : 

"  Brothers  and  Friends : — We  have  been  consid- 
ering upon  this  business  concerning  the  captives, 
and  that  under  the  eye  and  fear  of  the  Great  Spirit. 
You  know  that  these  people  are  our  cruel  enemies ; 
they  save  no  lives  of  us  red  men  who  fall  in  their 
power.  You  say  that  the  youth  is  the  son  of  the 
Spanish  Governor.  We  believe  it  —  we  are  sorry 
he  has  fallen  into  our  haiuls,  but  he  is  our  enemy. 
The  two  young  men  are  equally  our  enemies — we 
are  sorry  to  see  them  here,  but  we  know  no  differ- 
ence in  their  flesh  and  blood  ;  they  are  equally  our 
enemies.  If  we  save  one,  we  must  save  all  three; 
but  we  cannot  do  it.  The  red  men  require  their 
blood  to  appease  the  spirits  of  their  slain  relatives ; 
they  have  intrusted  us  with  the  guardianship  of  our 
laws  and  rights — we  cannot  betray  them.  However, 
we  have  a  sacred  prescription  relative  to  this  affair, 
wrhich  allows  us  to  extend  mercy  to  a  certain  de- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          237 

gree  :  a  third  is  saved  by  lot.  The  Great  Spirit  al- 
lows us  to  put  it  to  that  decision  ;  he  is  no  respecter 
of  persons." 

The  lots  are  cast.  The  governor's  son  was  taken 
and  burnt. 

Hunters  now  go  on  excursions  down  the  Florida 
coast  as  a  pleasant  pastime,  with  no  fear  from  hu- 
man foes,  and  no  inconvenience,  save  a  few  mus- 
quitoes  and  sand -flies,  which  furnish  a  feast  of 
merriment  for  their  friends  when  they  relate  their 
adventures  after  returning.  There  is  a  decided  dif- 
ference between  coming  here  in  1774  and  1874. 

Matanzas  is  situated  eighteen  miles  below  St.  Au- 
gustine, at  the  mouth  of  the  Bloody  Matanzas  River. 
In  the  vicinity  a  boarding-house  has  recently  been 
erected,  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors.  The 
echoes  from  busy  life  are  so  faint  and  far  away,  and 
so  long  in  reaching  us  here,  that  we  feel  as  though 
we  were  in  another  state  of  existence — the  outside 
world  only  affecting  us  like  a  spent  wave,  as  it  dies 
away  on  the  shore.  The  fishing-boats  steal  slowly 
by  with  nets  and  lines;  the  fishermen  are  silent, 
although  their  lives  are  not  sad;  but  they  snare  the 
voiceless  dwellers  of  the  deep,  which  have  peculiar 
habits  to  be  stuflied,  and  baited  for  with  cautious 
movements,  before  they  can  be  captured.  There  is 
no  crowding,  no  jostling,  no  dust — all  is  peace,  and 
the  pure  air  is  life.  An  occasional  schooner  ap- 
proaches from  New  York ;  it  comes  like  a  good 
angel  on  a  mission  of  mercy,  laden  with  stores  for 
the  sustenance  of  citizens  and  strangers. 

Fort   Matanzas,    although    cracked    and    seamed 


238          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

from  turret  to  foundation,  is  ever  redolent  of 
past  memories.  It  is  about  twenty  feet  in  height, 
and  formerly  had  brass  cannon  mounted  on  the 
ramparts,  designed  to  command  Matanzas  Bar. 
During  the  Spanish  rule  of  1800,  to  the  time  of  its 
cession  to  the  United  States,  it  was  occupied  by  a 
company  of  soldiers,  who  guarded  the  entrance  to 
St.  Augustine;  also  for  the  punishment  of  officers 
or  soldiers  who  had  been  drunk,  or  wandering  from 
the  path  of  duty  in  any  way.  Its  last  commander 
was  Captain  Christobal  Bravo,  whose  son,  bearing 
the  same  name,  is  now  a  worthy  citizen  of  St.  Au- 
gustine, and  can  relate  incidents  which  occurred 
during  the  time  his  father  was  stationed  there. 
This  fortress,  inferring  from  facts  furnished  by 
the  old  French  records,  is,  no  doubt,  the  one 
commenced  by  the  two  hundred  who  escaped  the 
night  previous  to  the  fatal  massacre  by  Melendez. 
It  never  had  a  portcullis,  or  sail}-- port,  but  was 
entered  by  an  escalade  from  the  outside,  after 
which  the  ladder  was  drawn  up  and  dropped  down 
inside,  where  were  casemates  for  the  soldiers'  quar- 
ters and  rations,  also  an  ordnance  department,  and 
lock-up  for  delinquents  to  cool  off  from  their  po- 
tions and  meditate  upon  the  uncertainties  of  all 
earthly  pleasures  —  particularly  that  of  taking  a 
glass  too  much  !  It  is  partly  concealed  by  vines 
and  foliage — reminding  us  that  Nature,  when  not 
interrupted,  comes  to  close  the  yawning  gaps  .of 
bus37-fingered  Time,  planting  a  twining  ivy,  a  hardy 
cactus,  or  a  climbing  rose,  covered  with  blooms  and 
verdure — thus  teaching  us  the  lesson  of  resignation, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          239 

which  clothes  our  misfortunes  in  the  garments  of 
grace,  producing  the  flowers  of  fragrance,  although 
the  jagged  edges  of  rough,  rugged  paths  surround 
us.  Here  we  have  a  fine  view  of  the  sea,  where  the 
sun  rises  fresh  every  morning  as  the  day  after  its 
creation  ;  and  we  can  imagine  Aurora  scattering 
flowers  before  his  chariot  as  the  fleecy  clouds, 
decked  with  the  purity  of  the  day- dawn,  burst 
upon  our  delighted  vision. 

NEW  SMYRNA. — Dr.  Turnbull  obtained  a  grant 
from  the  English  Government  for  settling  a  Greek 
colony  in  Florida,  which  had  been  ceded  to  them  by 
Spain  in  1763.  lie  sailed  to  Peloponnesus,  and  ob- 
tained permission  from  the  Governor  of  Modon,  for 
a  consideration,  to  convey  to  Florida  a  large  num- 
ber of  Greek  families.  In  1767  he  sailed  with  one 
small  vessel  from  Modon;  putting  in  at  the  islands 
of  Corsica  and  Minorca,  he  recruited  his  numbers  to 
fifteen  hundred.  He  agreed  to  give  them  a  free  pas- 
sage, furnish  them  in  good  provisions  and  clothing; 
at  the  end  of  three  years'  service  to  give  each  family 
fifty  acres  of  land,  and  in  six  months  after  their  ar- 
rival, if  they  were  discontented,  to  send  them  back. 
Many  of  the  old  people  died  during  the  voyage  of  four 
months.  Sixty  thousand  acres  were  granted  them  by 
the  Governor  of  Florida.  As  it  was  then  winter,  they 
built  huts  of  palmetto  to  shelterthem,  and  the  follow- 
ing spring  commenced  planting  their  gardens.  This 
settlement  was  about  sixty  miles  south  of  St.  Au- 
gustine— they  named  it  New  Smyrna,  for  a  Grecian 
city  from  which  they  came,  in  Poloponnesus,  where 
they  all  contended  Homer  was  born,  but,  unlike  its 


240          Petals  Plucked  from  Sanity  Climes. 

namesake — being  ten  times  destroyed,  always  rose 
from  her  ruins — it  has  never  been  rebuilt  since  the 
indigo  speculation  proved  a  failure.  The  first  year 
they  engaged  in  the  culture  of  indigo,  when  the 
crop  amounted  to  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars,  but 
the  price  declining  so  rapidly,  it  was  soon  abandoned. 
Turnbnll  did  not  treat  them  kindly;  he  appointed 
drivers  from  the  Italians,  reducing  them  to  the  low- 
est slavery,  when  they  were  assigned  tasks  and  drew 
weekly  rations.  When  the  clothes  they  had  brought 
with  them  were  worn  out,  they  were  furnished  with 
a  suit  of  osnaburgs,  giving  the  men  shoes,  but  the 
women  none,  although  many  of  them  were  accus- 
tomed to  affluence  in  their  own  country.  This  serv- 
itude continued  for  nine  years.  The  cruelties  exer- 
cised over  them  were  equal  to  those  of  the  Spaniards 
of  St.  Domingo.  For  the  most  trifling  offense  they 
were  cruelly  beaten,  negroes  being  chosen  medi- 
ums for  this  torture.  If  they  ran  away,  they  were 
brought  back,  the  one  who  returned  them  receiv- 
ing a  reward.  At  the  termination  of  nine  years, 
only  six  hundred  remained  of  the  fifteen  hundred 
brought  over.  Finally  three  of  them  escaped,  and, 
after  swimming  the  Matanzas  River,  arrived  in  St. 
Augustine,  when  they  made  known  their  business 
to  Colonel  Yonge,  the  Attorney-general  of  the  Prov- 
ince, who  gave  them  protection.  A  change  of  gov- 
ernors had  taken  place,  Grant  being  superseded  by 
Tonyn.  Grant  was  supposed  to  have  been  connected 
with  Turnbull  in  the  speculation.  Tonyn  inter- 
fered in  their  behalf,  setting  them  at  liberty.  Mr. 
Pallicier  was  chosen  their  leader  when  they  marched 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          241 

out  of  bondage,  like  the  children  of  Israel,  from  what 
to  them  had  been  an  Egypt.  The  governor  treated 
them  kindly  on  their  arrival  in  St.  Augustine,  giv- 
ing them  lands  in  the  north  part  of  the  city,  where 
they  built  houses  and  cultivated  gardens,  which  are 
occupied  by  their  children  to  this  day. 

Not  far  from  this  we  find  the  Halifax  River  coun- 
try, near  which  is  Daytonia  and  other  settlements, 
said  to  be  remarkable  for  the  selectness  of  its  set- 
tlers, no  rough  adventurers  having  drifted  in  there. 
Below  New  Smyrna  is  the  famous  Colonel  Douglass 
Dummit  plantation,  from  which,  a  half  century 
since,  he  raised  and  manufactured  two  hundred 
barrels  of  sugar  in  one  season,  which  he  sent  to  the 
city  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  sold  for  eleven  cents  per 
pound.  It  was  only  rich  planters,  then,  who  could 
afford  to  buy  seed  and  pay  three  or  four  thousand 
dollars  for  an  engine  to  make  sugar.  An  acre  of 
cane  here  has  been  made  to  produce  three  thousand 
pounds  of  sugar  in  one  year. 

INDIAN  KEY  MASSACRE. — Adjectives  expressive  of 
the  horrible  were  exhausted  in  Florida  during  the 
Indian  war.  Some  of  the  contemporaries  of  the 
Indian  Key  murder  are  still  surviving  in  St.  August- 
ine, and  to  hear  them  relate  its  terrors  produces  a 
chilliness  which  to  us  is  quite  overpowering. 

August  15, 1840. — The  steamer  Santee  arrived  on 
Wednesday — Captain  Poinsett  commanding — bring- 
ing the  family  of  Dr.  Ferine.  They  were  living  on  In- 
dian Key,  a  small  spot  not  over  seven  acres  in  extent, 
situated  near  Matacomba  Key,  about  thirty  miles 
from  the  mainland,  on  the  Southern  Atlantic  coast. 
11* 


242          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

When  the  attack  was  made  by  the  savages,  seven  of 
its  inhabitants  were  murdered,  the  island  plundered, 
and  its  buildings  burned.  About  three  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  7th  instant  a  Mr.  Glass,  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Houseman,  happening  to  be  up,  saw 
boats  approaching,  after  which,  on  closer  inspection, 
it  was  discovered  they  were  Indians.  They  imme- 
diately commenced  firing  on  the  residences  of  Mr. 
Houseman  and  Dr.  Ferine,  the  former  of  whom, 
with  his  family,  and  that  of  Charles  Howe  and  fam- 
ily, succeeded  in  escaping  to  boats  and  crossing  over 
to  Teable  Key.  The  family  of  Dr.  Ferine  passed 
through  a  trap-door  into  their  bathing-room,  from 
whence  they  got  into  the  turtle-crawl,  and  by  great 
effort  removed  the  logs,  and  secreted  themselves 
among  the  rocks.  The  bathing-house  above  them 
was  set  on  fire  by  these  fiends,  when  with  the  great- 
est efforts  only  they  were  kept  from  being  roasted 
alive  by  putting  mud  on  their  heads  and  cheeks. 
Mr.  Motte  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  a  lady  sev- 
enty years  of  age,  fled  into  an  out-house,  from  whence 
Mrs.  Motte  was  dragged  by  an  Indian,  and  while  in 
the  act  of  calling  on  her  husband,  "John,  save  me!" 
was  killed.  Mr.  Motte  shared  the  same  fate,  and  was 
scalped.  The  old  lady,  as  she  was  dragged  forth, 
suddenly  broke  his  hold,  and  escaped  under  the 
house.  Her  granddaughter,  a  child  of  Mrs.  Motte, 
aged  eleven  years,  was  then  killed  with  a  club — the 
infant  strangled  and  thrown  into  the  water.  This 
was  seen  by  Mrs.  Johnson  from  her  hiding-place  ; 
but  the  Indians  fired  this  building,  when  she  was 
again  obliged  to  flee,  escaping  to  Maloney's  wharf, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          243 

where  she  secreted  herself  until  she  was  finally  res- 
cued. Joseph  Sturdy,  a  boy  twelve  years  of  age, 
concealed  himself  in  the  cistern  under  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Houseman,  and  was  scalded  to  death  by  the 
burning  building  heating  the  water.  The  remains 
of  an  adult  skeleton  were  found  among  the  ruins 
of  Dr.  Perine's  house,  supposed  to  be  the  doctor — 
also  a  child,  thought  to  have  been  a  slave  of  Mr. 

*  o 

Houseman.  The  perpetrators  of  this  deed  were 
Spanish  Indians,  headed  by  Chekika,  the  same  who 
made  the  attack  on  the  Caloosahatchee.  They  ob- 
tained a  great  amount  of  plunder  from  the  houses 
and  stores,  and  whilst  eno-a^ed  in  obtaining  these 

o     o  c? 

articles  Mrs.  Perine,  with  her  two  daughters  and 
little  son,  reached  a  boat  partially  loaded,  and  put 
oft' to  the  schooner  Medium,  lying  at  some  distance. 
On  Mr.  Houseman  reaching  Teable  Key,  Midship- 
man Murray,  U.  S.  N".,  started  with  his  only  avail- 
able force  of  five  men  and  two  swivels,  hoping  to 
cut  off  the  boats,  and  thus  prevent  the  escape  of 
the  Indians.  On  the  second  fire  of  his  guns  they 
recoiled  overboard,  when  the  Indians  commenced 
firing  on  his  boat  from  a  six-pounder  belonging  to 
Mr.  Houseman,  charged  with  musket-balls,  driving 
back  the  officer.  Dispatches  were  sent  to  Key  Bis- 
cayne,  but  the  Indians  had  retreated,  after  holding 
possession  of  the  island  twelve  hours,  carrying  off 
large  quantities  of  powder  and  other  things,  besides 
laying  a  little  settlement  in  ashes. 

This  act  was  regarded  as  arnono-  the  boldest  feats 

o  o 

of  the  war — that  a  force  of  seventeen  canoes,  with 
five  Indians  in  each,  should  make  a  voyage  thirty 


244 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


miles  from  the  mainland,  plunder,  murder,  and  re- 
tire in  perfect  safety !  Dr.  Ferine  was  a  man  of 
learning,  a  botanist,  whose  observations  arid  notes 
on  Florida  will  be  a  great  loss.  We  see  daily  in  our 
streets  armed  men  in  the  employ  of  the  Govern- 
ment, we  hear  of  company  after  company  being 
formed,  and  why  are  not  operations  commenced 
against  the  enemy? 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         245 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


HE  Indians  inhabiting  the  Everglades  be- 
fore the  Serainole  war  had  been  driven 
there  from  the  adjacent  islands  by  con- 
quest. They  did  not  belong  to  this  tribe. 
They  spoke  Spanish,  and  man}7  of  them 
had  been  baptized  in  Havana.  Their  pursuits  were 
quite  different — they  fished  and  followed. the  sea  as 
a  means  of  support,  having  never  been  ten  miles 
from  the  shore.  No  account  has  ever  been  written 
by  modern  explorers  in  that  region  which  gives  the 
reader  as  correct  an  idea  of  the  topography  of  the 
country  as  the  one  given  by  the  engineer  who  ac- 
companied Colonel  Harney,  Jan.  1,  1841.  Those 
who  visit  there  now  and  return,  appear  to  have  a 
commingling  of  scenery  —  the  flowers,  the  grass, 
and  water,  all  being  blended,  the  quantity  of  each 
not  designated.  This  grass-water  country  is  said 
to  be  like  no  other  place  in  the  world — a  sea  of 
water  filled  with  grass  and  green  trees,  that  can 
only  be  approached  by  canoes,  which  must  be 
pulled  through  the  mud  and  saw-grass,  and  then 
paddled  when  the  wrater  is  of  sufficient  depth,  with 
a  black  soil  of  measureless  extent. 

The  following  interesting  extracts  will  enable  us 
to  form  an  idea  of  the  energy  and  enterprise  re- 
quired during  the  Seminole  war  to  penetrate  the 


246          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

fastness  of  a  country  where  the  foes  intrenched 
themselves,  and  from  which  they  made  sallies  upon 
the  unwary  more  to  be  dreaded  than  any  disease 
which  visited  them.  The  expedition  was  con- 
ducted by  Colonel  W.  S.  Ilarney.  His  forces  were 
distributed  in  four  or  five  large  canoes,  carrying 
from  six  to  ten  men  each;  the  greater  number 
went  in  boats  made  for  the  purpose,  containing  five 
men  each.  Orders  were  given  that  every  man 
should  be  provided  with  twenty  days'  rations,  sixty 
rounds  of  ball  and  cartridge,  with  the  necessary 
blankets,  etc.  The  most  perfect  silence  was  to  be 
observed  by  all ;  orders  communicated  by  signal- 
whistles,  with  which  the  officers  were  supplied; 
the  boats  moving  in  single  file,  twenty  paces  apart, 
every  man  ready  to  drop  his  paddle  and  seize  his 
gun  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  dragoons  were 
armed  with  Colt's  repeating  rifles,  and,  being 
under  command  of  Colonel  Ilarney,  formed  a 
well-tried  band  of  experienced  Indian -fighters. 
Half  an  hour  after  sunset,  and  during  a  shower  of 
rain,  the  command  left  Fort  Dallas,  which  is  sit- 
uated on  the  bay  at  the  mouth  of  Indian  River, 
eight  miles  above  Key  Biscayne — Colonel  Ilarney 
in  advance,  with  Mico  as  guide,  and  negro  John  as 
interpreter,  the  arm}*  next,  and  the  navy  in  the  rear. 
After  passing  up  the  bay  seven  miles,  they  entered 
the  mouth  of  Little  River,  a  tortuous  and  extremely 
rapid  outlet  from  the  Everglades,  wrhere  they  strug- 
gled against  the  current  until  after  midnight,  when 
they  reached  their  first  resting-place — the  site  of  an 
old  plantation — where  they  landed. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          247 

January  2. — The  guide  says  that  by  not  starting 
from  here  until  toward  night,  we  will  reach  Chitto — 
Tusteuuggee's  Island — an  hour  or  two  before  dajT- 
break  to-morrow;  we  therefore  retained  our  posi- 
tion as  much  as  possible  in  the  grass  and  thickets  un- 
til 4  P.M.,  when  we  started,  but  in  reversed  order — 
the  colonel  in  advance,  the  navy  next,  and  the  army 
in  the  rear.  After  passing  up  a  few  miles  of  swift 
rapids,  we  entered  the  Everglades  at  sunset,  and, 
skirting  along  a  projecting  elbow  of  the  pine  bar- 
ren for  two  miles,  lay  concealed  behind  the  point 
of  it  until  quite  dark.  We  then  moved  forward 
swiftly  and  noiselessly,  at  one  time  following  the 
course  of  serpentine  channels  opening  out  occa- 
sionally into  beautiful  lagoons,  at  another  forcing 
our  way  through  barriers  of  saw-grass.  After  sev- 
eral hours  of  hard  paddling,  we  came  in  sight  of 
Chitto's  Island,  when  the  signal  was  passed  "  to 
close  up."  Moving  cautiously,  we  took  our  posi- 
tions around  the  island,  and  lay  in  anxious  expec- 
tation of  the  signal  to  move  up  and  effect  a  land- 
ing. An  advance-guard,  having  been  sent  in  to  re- 
connoiter,  after  some  time  reported  that  the  enemy 
had  left  the  island,  and,  in  a  tone  of  bitter  disap- 
pointment, the  colonel  gave  the  word,  "Move  up 
and  land ;  the  Indians  have  escaped." 

January  3. —  Chitto  —  Tustenuggee's,  or  Snake 
Warrior's  Island  —  is  a  most  beautiful  spot,  con- 
taining from  eighteen  to  twenty  acres;  the  soil 
is  extremely  rich,  and  about  two  feet  deep,  with 
a  basis  of  rotten  limestone.  The  center  is  cleared, 
but  the  circumference  is  well  protected  by  im- 


248          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

mense  live-oak  and  wild  fig-trees,  with  an  almost 
impenetrable  thicket  of  wild  mangroves.  There 
are  two  towns,  two  dancing -grounds,  and  one 
council -lodge,  on  this  island.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  dancing -ground  and  a  small  patch  of 
fine  Cuba  tobacco,  the  whole  clearing  is  overrun 
with  pumpkin,  squash,  and  melon  vines,  with  oc- 
casionally Lima  beans  in  great  luxuriance,  and  of 
a  most  excellent  quality.  The  Indians  have  been 
gone  at  least  two  weeks,  having  left  behind  them 
all  useless  articles,  such  as  war-dance  masks,  super- 
numerary baskets,  kettles,  fishing-spears,  etc.  At 
11  o'clock  the  colonel  dispatched  a  small  force  to 
reconnoiter  Tuconee's  Island,  which  lies  about  three 
miles  west  of  us.  They  returned  at  4  P.M.,  report- 
ing recent  signs  of  a  woman  and  child.  The  only 
trophies  they  obtained  were  some  ears  of  green  corn 
and  a  few  stalks  of  sugar-cane. 

January  4. — Started  this  morning  for  Sam  Jones's 
Island.  He  is  said  to  hold  a  strong  position,  having 
seventy  warriors  with  him  ;  the  only  fear  entertained 
by  officers  or  men  is  that  he  may  have  left  the  island 
and  gone  to  Big  Cypress.  After  paddling  until  3 
P.M.,  we  reached  a  small  cluster  of  trees,  from  the 
tops  of  which  the  guide  said  that  Sam  Jones's 
camp  was  visible;  he  was  accordingly  sent  aloft  to 
make  an  observation,  and  soon  pronounced  the 
place  deserted.  This  information  changed  the 
colonel's  programme,  and,  instead  of  waiting  un- 
til night  should  conceal  his  movements,  he  advanced 
immediately  toward  the  island;  however,  not  omit- 
ting to  send  out  flanking  parties,  and  an  advance- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          249 

guard  to  reconnoiter.  Before  sunset  we  had  all 
landed,  and  were  enjoying  our  biscuit  and  bacon, 
in  the  midst  of  an  Indian  village. 

January  5. — Sam  Jones's  possessions  consist  of  a 
group  of  several  islands,  differing  in  size  and  sep- 
arated by  narrow  sluices.  Upon  the  largest  of 
these,  which  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
in  width  and  half  a  mile  in  length,  are  three  vil- 
lages and  dancing- grounds,  the  general  features 
being  the  same  as  Chitto's  Island,  but  the  soil 
sandy.  There  are  no  villages  on  the  other  islands, 
but  they  have  been  cleared  in  the  center  and  planted 
with  pumpkins,  melons,  and  corn,  which  were  all 
destroyed.  Our  greatest  annoyance  at  this  place 
was  the  immense  number  of  fleas,  cockroaches,  and 
musquitoes.  Every  thing  you  touched — even  the 
ground — was  alive  with  the  former,  which,  with  the 
musquitoes,  attacked  our  persons,  while  the  roaches 
luxuriated  on  our  provisions.  The  whole  group  of 
islands,  called  Army  and  Navy  Group,  is  nearly  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  length,  and  presented  no  recent 
signs  of  Indians. 

January  6. — At  8  A.M.  passed  over  three  miles  to 
the  Pine  Keys,  and  scoured  the  whole  extent;  re- 
turned at  night,  hungry  and  fatigued,  to  Sam 
Jones's  camp.  Started  early  the  next  morning  for 
the  Prophet's  Island,  which,  according  to  Mico,  is 
two  suns  from  there.  At  11  A.M.  stopped  and  de- 
stroyed a  flourishing  crop  of  young  corn.  At  3 
P.M.  came  to  another  small  island  uncleared  :  upon 
sending  John  up  a  tree  to  look  out,  he  reported  two 
Indians  in  canoes,  two  miles  distant,  approaching  us. 


250          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Orders  were  given  to  lie  close,  as  they  were  evidently 
coming  to  the  island.  In  a  few  minutes  John  re- 
ported they  had  seen  us,  and  were  going  back.  The 
colonel  gave  chase,  but,  finding  there  was  not  water 
enough  for  his  large  canoe,  transferred  the  guide  to 
Captain  McLaughlin's  boat,  and  directed  him  to 
move  on  in  pursuit — the  light-boats  of  the  artillery 
to  accompany  the  captain  and  his  command.  The 
colonel,  with  the  large  canoes,  returned  to  the  island, 
and  sent  up  a  lookout,  who  reported  the  Indians  not 
visible,  but  our  boats  still  going  at  speed,  and  rap- 
idly nearing  a  small  island  about  three  miles  dis- 
tant. Colonel  II.,  becoming  impatient,  and  feeling 
confident  that  he  could  find  a  passage  across  with- 
out any  guide,  left  for  the  other  island,  and  reached 
it  just  as  some  of  the  advance  boats  flushed  a  party 
consisting  of  four  warriors,  five  squaws,  and  two 
children  ;  each  warrior  had  a  separate  canoe,  con- 
taining his  family  and  worldly  possessions.  They 
left  the  boats  to  the  care  of  the  women,  and  took 
to  the  grass-water,  loading  and  firing  as  they  ran. 
Three  of  the  warriors  were  soon  shot,  three  squaws 
and  one  child  taken,  and  the  other  drowned  by  its 
mother  to  prevent  its  cries  leading  to  her  detection. 
Night,  approaching,  one  warrior  and  two  squaws, 
favored  by  the  darkness,  escaped.  Only  one  sol- 
dier was  slightly  wounded  in  this  enterprise.  Early 
this  morning  Colonel  II.  sent  out  a  small  force  to 
follow  the  trail  of  the  other  warrior,  and  endeavor, 
if  possible,  to  take  him  alive,  as  he  had  ascertained 
from  the  squaws  it  was  Chia,  one  of  the  best  guides 
in  the  whole  Territory.  After  following  the  trail 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          251 

five  miles,  they  came  up  with  a  squaw  (Chia's 
wife),  and  took  her;  a  few  yards  farther  beyond,  on 
hearing  a  rustling  in  the  grass,  several  of  the  men 
leaped  into  the  water,  when  one  of  the  marines,  in 
the  act  of  springing  from  the  boat,  was  shot  in  the 
side  by  the  Indian,  who  ran  a  few  paces,  reloading 
his  rifle,  and,  as  Sergeant  Searles,  of  the  Third  Ar- 
tillery, rushed  toward  him,  he  turned  and  fired  at 
only  five  paces,  wounding  the  sergeant  mortally, 
who,  however,  did  not  retreat.  Chia  then  struck 
at  him  with  his  rifle;  but,  blinded  and  fainting  as 
he  was,  from  loss  of  blood,  he  quickly  rallied  for  a 
last  effort,  and  threw  himself  upon  the  Indian's 
neck,  crying,  "I  have  him!"  Chia  then  drew  his 
knife,  and  was  about  to  stab  his  captor,  when  a  sol- 
dier arrested  his  murderous  hand.  After  securing 
the  captive,  the  sergeant  was  lifted  into  a  canoe 
and  brought  back  to  the  island,  where  his  wounds 
were  examined  and  dressed  by  the  medical  officer. 
The  ball  was  found  to  have  passed  through  the  right 
arm,  entered  the  right  side,  breaking  a  rib,  opening 
the  right  lung,  and  passing  into  the  liver. 

January  9. — Last  night  we  were  obliged  to  sleep 
in  our  boats,  and,  in  addition  to  this  discomfort,  it 
rained  hard,  with  a  cold  south  wind  all  night.  Chia 
says  that  Sam  Jones,  on  hearing  of  Colonel  Har- 
ney's  first  expedition,  had  sent  over  to  the  Semi- 
noles  for  powder  and  lead,  saying  that  he  would  go 
into  the  Big  Cypress,  where,  if  pursued,  he  would 
fight  until  death.  Chia  and  his  part}'  were  going  to 
join  him,  and  he  (with  a  gallows  in  prospective, 
should  he  prove  false)  promises  faithfully  to  guide  us 


252          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

thither.  In  consequence  of  this  information  we  re- 
turned to  Sam  Jones's  Island,  which  we  reached  at 
noon. 

January  10.  —  The  description  given  of  Sam 
Jones's  present  position  is  such  as  would  intimidate 
almost  anybody  from  attempting  to  dislodge  them 
but  Colonel  Harney.  At  8  A.M.  we  started  for  the 
head -waters  of  New  Eiver,  which  we  reached  at 
sunset,  and  passed  down  the  stream  to  Fort  Lauder- 
dale,  where  we  arrived  at  midnight. 

January  11. — Having  disposed  of  the  wounded 
men  and  female  prisoners,  we  left  Lauderdale  at 
sunset,  and  ascended  the  New  River,  entering  the 
Everglades  by  the  right-hand  branch,  an  hour  before 
sunrise. 

January  12. — After  allowing  the  men  two  hours' 
rest,  we  moved  to  a  group  of  keys,  lying  between 
the  expanse  of  the  Everglades  and  the  edge  of  the 
Big  Cypress.  It  was  here  that  Chia  expected  to 
find  the  main  bod}r  of  the  enemy;  but,  upon  exam- 
ination of  the  signs,  he  pronounced  that  the}'  had 
gone  on  to  Okee-cho-bee.  With  a  heart  full  of  dis- 
appointment, Colonel  Harney  found  his  schemes 
thwarted  by  the  cowardice  of  the  Indians,  who  had 
fled  panic-stricken  upon  hearing  of  Chai-kai-kee's 
fate,  and  deserted  their  inaccessible  retreats.  At 
noon  the  navy  left  us,  taking  with  them  Mico  and 
negro  John  as  guides  across  the  Everglades,  in  the 
direction  of  the  first  expedition.  After  dinner  we 
bore  away  for  Lauderdale,  and,  aided  by  the  swift 
current  of  New  River,  reached  our  destination  at 
8  P.M. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          253 

January  \§. — Colonel  Harney  this  morning  started 
with  twenty  men  to  search  for  a  reported  passage 
from  the  New  River  into  the  Hillsboro  Inlet ;  the 
low  stage  of  the  water  proving  an  insurmountable 
obstacle,  he  returned  at  sundown,  giving  orders  to 
prepare  for  moving  homeward  to-morrow. 

January  15. — At  early  dawn  the  canoes  were 
hauled  over  from  the  beach  into  the  bay,  when,  in 
passing  down  it,  we  reached  Fort  Dallas  at  noon. 
The  Pay-hai-o-kee  (grass-water,  or  Everglades)  com- 
prises a  large  portion  of  Southern  Florida,  lying 
south  of  the  twenty-seventh  degree  of  latitude,  and 
separated  from  the  Atlantic,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by 
a  pine  barren,  varying  in  width  from  five  to  twenty 
or  more  miles.  There  are  a  number  of  outlets  on 
the  eastern,  or  Atlantic  coast,  while  on  the  western, 
or  Gulf  coast,  there  is  only  one,  now  named  after  its 
first  navigator,  Harney  River.  The  appearance  pre- 
sented upon  entering  the  Everglades  is  that  of  an 
immense  prairie,  stretching  farther  than  the  eye  can 
reach,  covered  by  thick  saw-grass,  rising  six  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  which  it  conceals — 
the  monotony  varied  by  numerous  snake-like  chan- 
nels and  verdant  islands,  scattered  few  and  far  be- 
tween— the  average  depth  of  water  over  the  whole 
extent  being  from  two  to  four  feet.  The  channels 
vary  in  width  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  above  the 
usual  water-level,  though,  no  doubt,  in  very  wet 
seasons  occasionally  overflowed — the  water  all  being 
clear  and  wholesome — and  even  where  no  current 
was  perceptible  there  was  no  appearance  of  stagna- 
tion. 


254          Pdals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  results  of  this  expedition,  although  appar- 
ently not  very  brilliant,  have  only  been  surpassed  in 
usefulness  by  those  of  the  first  Everglade  expedi- 
tion, undertaken  and  prosecuted  with  such  untiring 
energy  and  eminent  success  by  Colonel  Harney. 
The  knowledge  acquired  of  the  nature  of  tbe  coun- 
try, the  localities  of  tbe  lands,  and  strength  of  the 
positions,  occupied  by  two  of  the  most  formidable 
chiefs,  is  of  itself  ample  reward  for  the  privations 
and  sufferings  necessarily  encountered  during  a 
movement  in  open  boats,  with  no  tents,  a  limited 
supply  of  blankets  and  provisions,  exposed  to  the 
sun  by  day  and  tbe  dew  at  night,  to  the  drenching 
rain  and  chilly  blast,  but  rarely  allowed  the  luxury 
of  fires,  and  eating  food  which  it  required  a  strong 
appetite  to  relish. 

The  Everglades  extend  from  the  head  of  the  St. 
John's,  on  the  north,  to  within  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
of  Cape  Florida,  on  the  south.  This  land  is  believed 
to  be  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  tide- 
water, and  is  susceptible  of  being  rendered  per- 
fectly dry  by  deepening  and  widening  the  various 
outlets  or  rivers  that  flow  through  it,  from  the  lakes 
to  the  sea.  The  lakes  near  the  center  of  the  Ever- 
glades are  deep  and  navigable,  connecting  with  one 
another  throughout  the  entire  distance. 

The  tropical  region  of  the  peninsula  reaches  from 
Cape  Florida  about  two  hundred  miles  north.  The 
soil  of  the  country  has  been  pronounced  by  all  ex- 
plorers very  rich,  it  being  only  covered  with  water 
in  the  rainy  season.  When  the  resources  of  this 
tropical  region  are  utilized,  the  importance  of  Flor- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          2o5 

ida  can  hardly  be  appreciated  too  highly.  Besides 
the  growth  of  cultured  fruits,  the  Manilla  hemp  is 
one  of  the  indigenous  products  of  the  soil;  the  In- 
dians used  it  in  making  ropes  and  mats,  and  formerly 
supplied  the  Spaniards  with  halters,  lines,  and  bed- 
cords,  at  cheap  rates — it  was  called  grass-rope.  The 
cotton-plant  found  here  is  the  same  as  that  raised  on 
plantations,  differing  only  in  the  smallness  of  the 
leaf  and  pod,  length  and  fineness  of  the  fibers — 
it  produces  two  or  three  years  without  being  re- 
planted. 

January,  1841. — Colonel  Harneyhas  been  on  two 
expeditions  in  the  Everglades;  captured  thirty-nine 
Indians;  pressed  into  service  a  slave,  formerly  the 
property  of  Doctor  Cruise,  as  a  guide,  he  having 
been  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  He  conducted  the 
colonel  to  a  camp  where  the  Indians  were  assem- 
bled, who  fought,  but  were  soon  overpowered,  when 
Colonel  Harney  hung  ten  of  the  warriors,  Chekika 
among  the  number,  who  led  the  attack  on  Indian 
Key. 

St.  Augustine,  January,  1841.  —  An  ovation  was 
given  to  General  Harney,  after  his  return  from  the 
Everglade  expedition,  when  the  St.  Augustine  Mar- 
ket-house was  brilliantly  illumined.  A  large  trans- 
parency bore  the  inscriptions,  "Lieutenant -colonel 
W.  S.  Harney,  Everglades !  "  "No  more  Treaties !  " 
"  Remember  Caloosahatchee ! "  "  War  to  the  Rope ! " 
with  the  device  of  an  Indian  suspended  from  a  tree. 
A  band  of  music  played  in  the  plaza,  cannon  were 
fired,  together  with  many  other  loud  demonstrations 
of  joy  at  the  prospect  of  peace. 


256          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  few  may  have  smiled,  but  the  many  wept  in 
tears  of  blood,  and  wailed  in  sackcloth  and  ashes, 
over  the  long  train  of  evils  that  followed  the  Treaty 
of  Payne's  Landing — a  compact  of  which  many  had 
never  heard  until  they  began  to  suffer  under  the  in- 
effectual attempts  to  carry  it  into  execution.  What 
a  tale  of  sorrow  could  the  poor,  suffering  soldiers 
unfold,  who  had  to  march  through  the  saw -grass 
and  saw-palmetto,  with  their  serrated  edges,  which 
seized  their  clothes  and  flesh  as  they  passed,  mark- 
ing their  pathway  with  tatters  and  blood ! 

In  South  Florida,  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lake 
Ogeechubee — the  largest  body  of  water  in  the  State, 
it  being  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  twenty  in  width — 
is  a  tract  of  country  known  as  the  Everglades,  com- 
prising an  area  of  six  hundred  miles.  Here  dwells 
the  remnant  of  a  race  of  men  which  required  more 
time  to  subdue,  and  cost  the  Government  more 
money,  than  the  Colonial  war  with  Great  Britain. 
They  are  ruled  by  chiefs,  according  to  their  ancient 
patriarchal  custom,  the  royal  line  being  transmitted 
from  parent  to  child,  as  in  monarchical  governments. 

Old  and  young  Tiger  Tail  are  both  living  now, 
the  senior  chief  being  almost  a  century  of  age.  It 
was  his  father  that  built  an  Indian  village  where 
Tallahassee  now  stands,  and  in  which  place  he  first 
saw  the  light. 

Old  Tiger  Tail  murdered  his  sister,  who  favored 
emigration,  to  which  he  was  opposed.  After  going 
to  the  West  he  became  much  dissatisfied,  when  lie 
made  his  way  to  the  wilds  of  Mexico,  where  he  in- 
trenched himself  in  the  natural  fastness  among  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          257 

mountains.  From  this  fortress  he  made  frequent 
sallies  upon  the  inhabitants,  killing  when  he  met 
resistance,  and  carrying  away  whatever  plunder  of 
value  he  could  seize  upon.  He  was  joined  by  others, 
who  were  living  as  outlaws  in  their  own  country, 
thus  combining  the  cunning  of  the  Indian  with  the 
brigand  spirit  of  the  Mexican,  forming  an  alliance 
more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  wily  movements  of  the 
Chieftain  Osceola.  He  is  a  battle-scarred  warrior, 
and  can  relate  with  much  accuracy  every  different 
engagement  where  he  was  wounded.  He  is  friendly 
with  some  visitors;  has  a  summer  and  winter  home, 
where  he  camps  each  season. 

The  Indians  visit  Fort  Pierce,  on  the  Indian  River, 
as  a  trading-point,  when  they  bring  buckskins,  po- 
tatoes, pumpkins,  and  honey,  to  sell.  The  wild 
honey  brought  to  market  from  all  parts  of  the  State 
is  a  sufficient  proof  of  its  adaptability  to  the  produc- 
tion of  that  commodity  for  settlers  to  engage  in  the 
enterprise  of  bee-culture.  In  addition  to  the  blos- 
soms of  annuals  and  orange-trees,  a  honey-dew  ex- 
udes from  some  of  the  trees  at  certain  seasons — the 
magnolia,  poplar,  wahoo,  and  sweet-gum  —  from 
which  the  bees  can  gather  largely. 

Father  Dufau  recently  visited  the  Everglades  as  a 
missionary,  but,  meeting  with  poor  encouragement, 
returned.  He  does  not  bring  favorable  reports  in 
regard  to  their  mental  or  spiritual  improvement. 
The  Indians  regard  the  "pale  faces"  with  suspicion 
and  distrust.  They  have  been  duped  so  often  by 
the  whites  that  their  chief  forbids  the  females  speak- 
ing to  them.  They  have  no  forms  of  religion,  but 
12 


258          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

worship  the  Great  Spirit  and  planets,  wearing  de- 
vices of  the  moon.  Father  Dufau  had  a  pair  of  sil- 
ver ear-rings,  made  by  them,  the  pendant  portion 
resembling  a  crescent.  These  were  formerly  owned 
and  worn  by  Tiger  Tail,  who  sold  them  for  whisky. 

Slaves  are  still  regarded  as  property  with  them, 
the  difference  in  caste  between  master  and  servant 
not  being  distinguishable.  Polygamy  is  becoming 
unpopular  with  them  now.  Tiger  Tail  has  two 
wives;  but  the  oldest  squaw  claims  priority,  caus- 
ing the  stream  of  harmony  to  flow  in  divided  cur- 
rents. She  says,  "Two  squaws  no  good."  The 
soil  teems  with  verdure  all  the  year,  and  they  live 
Avithout  solicitude,  either  temporally  or  spiritually. 
In  hunting,  they  require  neither  guns  nor  dogs,  but 
imitate  whatever  beast  or  bird  they  propose  to  cap- 
ture, and  when  their  prey  approaches  near  enough, 
shoot  it  with  arrows.  The  water  found  in  the  Ever- 
glades is  very  clear,  thus  enabling  them  to  fish  with- 
out hooks  or  nets,  by  shooting  the  fish,  which  they 
do  with  great  skill. 

The  men  dress  in  deerskin  breeches,  wearing  calico 
coats,  with  long  skirts,  and  various  patterns  sewed 
on  them.  The  squaws  are  all  clothed  like  our  cracker 
country  females — the  younger  ones  displaying  their 
fondness  for  beads  by  wearing  four  pounds  around 
their  necks.  The  funniest  of  all  is  how  they  received 
that  irrational  style  of  having  their  hair  banged  like 
white  girls,  and  surprises  visitors  very  much.  Some 
of  the  younger  warriors  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
taught  to  read,  measure,  and  weigh.  They  speak 
little  English,  but  communicate  mostly  by  signs. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          259 

Father  Dufau  bad  to  walk  wherever  he  went,  after 
leaving  Key  Biscayne  Bay,  his  speed  at  times  being 
accelerated  more  than  was  agreeable  by  water-moc- 
casins and  alligators. 

The  Everglades  still  retain  their  primeval  state, 
guarded  with  ample  care  by  towering  live-oaks,  the 
majestic  grandiflora,  and  the  aromatic  bay,  from 
which  the  yellow  jasmine  swings  her  airy  bowers, 
and  where  the  polyglot  bird  trills  his  joyful  notes, 
the  velvet-pi umaged  paroquet  chatters  to  his  mate, 
and  the  red-bird  whistles  shrill  sounds  of  joy,  while 
high  above  all,  swinging  in  mid-air,  the  golden  ori- 
ole is  listening  from  her  pendent  bower  for  the  first 
sounds  of  vitality  which  will  echo  from  her  nest- 
lings. The  foot  of  man,  in  his  march  of  progress, 
has  never  penetrated  these  wilds  of  natural  beauty 
— a  solitude  tempered  by  sea-breezes,  unvisited  by 
wintry  winds,  where  moonbeams  sleep  on  glassy 
waters,  unmoved  by  the  tempest's  roar  or  the  tri- 
dent of  Neptune. 


260          Petals  Plucked  from  tiiumy  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

leaving  Jacksonville  for  Cedar  Keys,  we 
first  take  the  Florida  Central  Road,  which 
is  thought  by  some  to  ride  very  rough,  but 
the  controlling  element  which  had  it  in 
charge  treated  it  rougher  than  any  jolt 
which  passengers  receive  in  riding  over  it.  Soon  as 
the  road  can  recover  from  the  raids  upon  its  earn- 
ings, preparations  will  be  made  to  accommodate  the 
traveling  public  so  well  that  they  will  always  prefer 
riding  on  the  Florida  Central  from  choice.  Bald- 
win is  the  first  noticeable  station  on  the  road,  twenty 
miles  from  Jacksonville.  "We  arrive  here  in  time 
for  breakfast,  which  the  vigorous  ringing  of  bells 
indicate  —  the  Berger  Family  is  nowhere  in  com- 
parison to  the  noise  they  make.  As  we  had  no  free 
feeds,  we  are  not  obligated  to  puff  the  eating-houses; 
but  the  moderate  charges  and  fine  fare  constitute  an 
attractive  feature  to  the  hungry  traveler.  The  depot 
and  telegraph -office  windows  are  said  to  furnish 
amusement  for  the  agent  and  operator,  where  they 
can  spend  their  leisure  in  fishing. 

The  attractive  alligators  and  moccasins  are  hiber- 
nating now,  as  it  is  February;  occasionally  a  stray 
one  comes  out,  like  Noah's  dove,  to  see  if  winter 
has  gone.  The  junction  of  roads  is  what  makes  the 
town— the  A.  G.  &  W.  I.  T.  Co.  Road  is  taken  here, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          261 

in  order  that  the  Mexican  Gulf,  one  hundred  and 
seven  miles  distant,  may  be  reached.  Northern 
passengers  complain  of  the  snail-pace  by  which  the 
trains  are  propelled,  but  no  accident  ever  occurs  to 
endanger  life  or  limb.  The  piney-woods  scenery 
predominates,  which  gives  the  country  a  very  un- 
picturesque  appearance;  and  the  land,  that  in  some 
places  appears  poor  enough  to  make  squirrels  sad, 
changes  as  we  advance  toward  the  Gulf. 

Trail  Ridge  is  noticeable  for  its  high  location, 
being  over  two  hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  always 
celebrated  for  its  healthfulness  and  pure  water. 
Lawtey,  four  miles  from  Trail  Ridge,  has  recently 
received  a  large  accession  of  immigrants  from  Chi- 
cago. The  lands  are  considered  among  the  best  in 
the  interior  of  the  State.  One  great  advantage  in 
living  on  the  Transit  Road  is  free  transportation  for 
self  and  family,  together  with  the  superior  facilities 
for  sending  produce  to  market.  Starke,  seventy- 
three  miles  from  Fernandina,  is  a  place  of  some  im- 
portance, containing  a  lumber-mill,  turpentine  distil- 
lery, and  several  stores,  besides  boarding-houses. 
What  a  multitude  of  disagreeable  sounds  break  upon 
our  morning  slumbers  in  these  plank  habitations ! 
The  cats,  which  have  been  vigorous  in  their  serenad- 
ing during  the  night,  now  prepare  to  quit  the  field 
by  a  final  contest,  which  Dinah  interrupts  with  the 
broom.  The  pigs,  that  lay  piled  in  the  yard  so 
quietly  during  the  night,  are  calling  for  their  ra- 
tions, while  the  chickens  have  been  cackling  a 
chorus  in  advance  of  the  supplies  which  they  will 
furnish  for  hungry  visitors.  Never,  apparently,  did 


262          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

dinner-pots  require  such  a  vast  amount  of  scraping. 
Then  the  old  coffee -mill  sounds  like  a  ten  -  horse- 
power flouring-mill.  These  little  innovations  upon 
our  morning  nap  are  soon  forgotten  after  we  have 
eaten  our  breakfast,  and  witnessed  what  a  beautiful 
day  is  before  us. 

Waldo  now  appears  to  be  settling  more  rapidly 
than  Starke.  A  large  hotel,  called  the  Waldo  House, 
has  been  built  here,  which  is  well  kept.  Croquet- 
grounds  are  laid  out,  shade-trees  planted,  in  a  taste- 
ful manner,  presenting  an  inviting  appearance  to 
travelers  as  they  approach  the  town.  This  station 
is  destined  to  be  a  place  of  prominence.  A  canal 
is  in  process  of  construction  to  Lake  Santa  Fe, 
four  miles  distant,  thus  connecting  it  with  the  main 
artery  of  communication  in  the  State.  This  region 
of  country  is  attracting  no  small  amount  of  atten- 
tion at  present,  the  high  ground  it  occupies  being 
one  of  its  most  desirable  features — which  fact  is 
demonstrated  by  the  waters,  instead  of  settling.  flowr- 
ing  east  and  west,  then  emptying  into  the  Atlantic 
and  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This  lake  contains  nearly 
thirty  square  miles  of  water,  being  about  nine  miles 
in  length,  its  greatest  width  four  miles.  The  depth 
of  the  water  is  from  twenty  to  sixty  feet,  being  pure 
freestone,  palatable  all  the  year  with  a  little  ice. 
Superior  inducements  are  offered  to  those  who  wish 
to  come  as  actual  settlers,  fine  lake-sites  being  very 
reasonable,  and  the  present  inhabitants  the  best  of 
people. 

We  next  come  to  Alachua  county,  the  richest  and 
now  the  most  important  on  the  route,  containing 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          263 

hummock -lauds,  covered  with  phosphates,  indicat- 
ing a  fertility  of  soil,  where  the  long  staple  will 
flourish,  and  silken  cotton-bolls  open  their  tributes 
of  wealth  to  reward  the  industrious  planter.  Tiny 
floating  islands  are  visible  on  each  side  of  the  track, 
while  the  lily  rises  from  the  dusky  waters  of  the 
morass,  as  though  upheld  by  some  invisible  hand. 
Long-legged  Florida  cattle  are  grazing  upon  the 
fresh  grass,  while  the  yearlings  run  races  with  the 
cars,  to  the  annoyance  of  all  concerned.  Visible 
signs  of  impatience  are  manifested  by  the  lady-pas- 
sengers, when  the  following  colloquy  takes  place  be- 
tween a  Bostonian  and  a  very  black  train-hand: 

Lady — "  Sa}\  sir!  are  there  no  refreshments  com- 
ing in  soon? " 

J%ro— "What  is  dem,  Miss?" 

Lady — "Why,  something  to  eat." 

Negro — "I  reckin  dar'll  be  some  groun'-peas 
gwine  'roun'  'fore  bery  long,  or  some  cane-stalks." 

Lady  (very  indignant) — "I  wish  you  to  compre- 
hend I  came  from  Boston;  we  do  n't  eat  such  things 
up  there  in  our  part  of  the  country!  " 

During  the  year  1750  a  Creek  chief  retired  from 
his  nation,  named  Secoffe,  and  settled  in  Alachua, 
he  being  attracted  by  the  game  and  natural  fertility 
of  soil.  He  was  a  sworn  enemy  of  the  Spaniards, 
but  a  friend  to  the  English  up  to  1784.  He  visited 
St.  Augustine  on  hearing  that  Florida  had  been 
sold  to  the  English,  at  which  time,  not  thinking 
himself  treated  with  due  deference  to  his  rank  in 
life,  he  returned,  swearing  vengeance  to  all  the 
whites.  He  died  soon  afterward,  which  frustrated 


2(54          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

his  projects  of  revenge.  Before  dying  he  called  his 
two  sons,  Payne  and  Bowlegs,  to  whom  he  intrusted 
the  mission  of  killing  fourteen  Spaniards,  which, 
added  to  eighty-six — the  number  already  killed  by 
himself — would  make  one  hundred — the  requisite 
amount  which  the  Great  Spirit  had  revealed  to  him 
would  insure  happiness  to  his  soul.  His  sons,  not 
being  of  a  revengeful  spirit,  lived  in  peace  with  the 
Spaniards,  and  died  much  respected.  Another  band 
came  in  1808,  under  Micco  Hadjo,  settling  near  Tal- 
lahassee— from  this  date  the  Florida  Indians  were 
called  Seminoles,  or  Runaways. 

This  county  contains  a  great  sink,  called  by  some 
a  lake,  in  which  congregate  during  the  dry  weather 
large  quantities  of  alligators,  together  with  fish  of 
all  sizes,  that  cannot  escape  into  the  subterranean 
rocky  passage.  This  sink  is  situated  in  a  savanna 
about  fifteen  miles  in  length.  The  Indians  formerly 
had  a  town  near  this  locality,  which  they  moved  on 
account  of  the  stench  from  decayed  fish  in  summer, 
that  had  been  driven  there  by  the  alligators.  These 
Indian  settlers  were  busy  during  the  war,  like  their 
companions.  The  following  are  some  of  the  fruits 
of  their  conduct:  "The  Rev.  McRae,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  two  other  persons,  while  riding  from 
Waccahootee  to  Micanopy,  when  at  the  Juggs, 
within  three  miles  of  the  fort,  were  fired  upon  by 
a  party  of  fifteen  or  twenty  Indians.  Mr.  McRae's 
horse  was  wounded  and  fell,  when  he  was  overtaken 
and  scalped  by  the  Indians,  but  his  scalp  was  left 
on  the  ground.  The  others  escaped  with  four  balls 
in  their  clothes.  In  five  more  days  a  citizen  and 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          265 

soldier  were  murdered  within  four  miles  of  Fort 
Micanopy.  their  hearts  taken  out,  and  their  bodies 
horribly  mangled."  June  5,  1839,  on  the  Newnans- 
ville  road,  Mr.  Ostein,  Mr.  Dell,  and  Miss  Ostein, 
were  killed.  After  this  tragic  event,  the  following 
notice  speaks  in  trumpet  tones: 

"  The  injuries  of  the  citizens  of  Alachua  and  Co- 
lumbia counties  have  been  of  a  nature  that  can  never 
be  forgotten  or  forgiven.  The  white  man  and  the 
Indian  can  no  longer  occupy  the  same  territory  in 
peace;  one  or  the  other  must  be  removed  or  anni- 
hilated, and  the  General  Government  will  justly  de- 
cide the  question.  FRANCIS  K.  SANCHEZ." 

During  this  year  all  flags  of  truce  and  peace 
movements  were  lost  sight  of,  as  Indian  murders 
were  every  day  occurring.  At  this  time  two  volun- 
teers were  killed  near  Micanopy,  their  bodies  much 
mutilated,  and  their  tongues  cut  out.  General 
Jackson  at  this  time  estimated  a  force  "  of  four 
hundred  Indians,  which  could  be  whipped  out  by  a 
battalion  of  women  armed  with  broomsticks." 

The  approach  from  the  depot  to  Gainesville  is  very 
unattractive,  particularly  in  the  winter  season,  hav- 
ing the  appearance  of  being  inaccessible  either  by 
land  or  water.  Black,  marshy-looking  places,  con- 
taining a  muddy  fluid,  fail  to  give  travelers  a  pleas- 
ant impression,  and  for  this  reason  draining  should 
be  commenced  by  building  causeways  to  the  city 
and  the  frequented  places  in  the  vicinity.  They 
have  not  put  the  best  side  out  here.  Gainesville 
was  named  for  General  Edmund  P.  Gaines,  a  Flor- 
ida Indian-war  veteran.  Mrs.  Myra  Clark  Gaines, 


266          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

who  for  many  years  has  been  litigating  for  a  portion 
of  the  ground  on  which  New  Orleans  stands,  was 
his  wife,  who  by  a  special  act  of  Congress  receives 
a  pension,  whether  married  again  or  remaining  his 
widow. 

Many  invalids  have  a  preference  for  Gainesville, 
on  account  of  its  even  temperature,  over  localities 
on  the  bays,  rivers,  or  lakes.  It  has  fine  accommo- 
dations, containing  two  good  hotels,  besides  comfort- 
able boarding-houses  of  various  dimensions.  The 
Arlington  House  is  first-class  in  every  respect,  being 
new,  while  Oak  Hall,  for  good  eating,  cannot  be  out- 
done. The  dining-room  serving -man  has  waited 
here  for  twenty  years,  which  is  very  remarkable  in 
consideration  of  the  various  vicissitudes  through 
which  that  race  has  passed.  The  quiet  of  country 
life  is  found  in  this  locality;  the  sound  of  wheels  is 
hushed  in  the  streets,  the  sand  being  so  deep  it  has 
no  echo  when  wheels  pass  over  it.  Protestant 
Churches  are  well  represented  in  numbers  and 
houses  of  worship.  The  Presbyterian  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  McCormick,  has  ministered  to  his  people 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Through  what  numer- 
ous changes  has  he  passed!  What  sad  memories 
linger  around  his  ministrations,  but  sometimes  min- 
gled with  joy  when  a  sinner  for  whom  he  had  long 
been  solicitous  has  been  born  into  the  kingdom! 

More  of  the  Tillandasia,  or  hanging  moss,  which 
sometimes  grows  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  length,  is 
found  here  than  in  most  other  portions  of  the  State. 
Two  moss-factories,  preparing  it  for  commerce,  are 
doinsr  a  thrivino-  business.  It  closely  resembles 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          267 

horse -hair  when  properly  cleaned  and  curled  —  is 
quite  elastic  and  inodorous.  It  is  used  extensively 
in  upholstering,  and  is  quite  profitable  to  those  en- 
gaged in  the  enterprise. 

Dry-goods  stores,  groceries,  and  drug-stores  all  do, 
a  lucrative  business  with  the  people  living  in  the 
back  country.  Lands  lying  in  the  vicinity  of  Gaines- 
ville are  very  fine,  one  acre  of  ground  being  capable 
of  producing  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  sugar  and 
three  hundred  gallons  of  sirup. 

By  taking-  the  stas;e  at  Gainesville,  Orange  Lake, 

4/  o  o  o 

"the  natural  home  of  the  orange,"  is  easily  reached. 
This  lake  is  a  vast  lime-sink,  draining  a  large  extent 
of  country,  having  no  visible  outlet.  The  induce- 
ments and  facilities  for  orange-culture  are  probably 
unsurpassed  in  any  other  locality.  One  man  owns 
over  a  hundred  thousand  budded  trees,  and  a  million 
more  yet  remain  in  a  state  of  nature.  The  native 
orange-growth  has  been  a  source  of  wonder  to  all 
modern  explorers.  Nothing  can  be  imagined  more 
beautiful  than  one  of  these  natural  groves  in  March 
— the  golden  orbs  in  a  setting  of  green,  while  creamy 
blossoms,  like  clouds  of  incense,  rise  in  overpower- 
ing sweetness  to  welcome  us  with  their  choicest  ob- 
lation. The  whole  forest  has  a  tropical  luxuriance, 
the  abundant  vegetation  being  well  sustained  by  a 
rich  soil  of  sandy  loam,  with  a  layer  of  marl  and  de- 
composed shells.  Besides  the  orange,  we  see  the 
live-oak,  magnolia,  hickory,  bay -tree,  and  many 
other  native  woods,  interspersed  with  grape-vines 
measuring  three  feet  in  circumference,  climbing  to 
the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees,  forming  a  dense  shade, 


268          Petals  Plucked  from  Samnj  Climes. 

where  sunbeams  can  rarely  or  ever  penetrate.  As 
•we  walk  between  its  stately  colonnades,  our  minds 
revert  to  the  silence  of  "God's  first  temple."  It  is 
in  this  vicinity  lime-sinks  abound,  which  are  formed 
from  subterranean  streams  of  water  constantly  flow- 
ing, thus  washing  away  the  sand,  which  causes  the 
coral  formation  supported  by  it  to  fall,  frequently 
exposing  large  lakes  of  immense  depth,  many  of 
them  containing  fish. 

Malaria  is  said  to  prevail  here  sometimes,  "al- 
though it  is  perfectly  healthy."  Let  settlers  plant 
the  Eucalyptus  -  tree,  which  is  no  experiment,  but  a 
success,  in  other  places,  being  a  powerful  absorbent 
of  miasm,  converting  sickly,  malarious  localities 
into  healthful,  happy  homes.  A  seedling  orange- 
tree  is  considered  the  most  hardy,  and  will  produce 
in  five  years,  while  a  budded  tree  bears  in  two  or 
three  years.  It  is  well  to  have  both  kinds,  in  order 
to  fully  realize  the  golden  dreams  of  a  successful  in- 
vestment. The  manufacture  of  citric  acid  from  the 
wild  orange  has  been  attempted  here  several  times, 
without  any  great  results  as  yet,  but  marmalade  is  a 
decided  success.  All  information  on  the  subject  of 
groves  in  this  locality  can  be  obtained  by  address- 
ing John  F.  Dunn,  Ocala,  Marion  county,  Florida. 
There  are  many  homesteads  in  all  parts  of  the  State. 
For  particulars  address  United  States  Land  Agent, 
Gainesville,  Florida. 

After  leaving  Gainesville,  before  reaching  the 
Gulf,  several  places  are  passed,  bearing  important 
names,  their  locality  and  present  appearance  of 
thrift  now  giving  promise  of  future  prosperity. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          2G9 

Cities  in  the  prospective:  Orange  City,  Arredondo, 
Buttons,  Archer,  and  Albion — all  stopping- points 
and  new  settlements.  Albion  has  been  settled 
mostly  by  young  Englishmen,  who  have  come  here 
to  engage  in  grape-culture — these  being  the  first  in- 
voice of  a  large  colony  from  Europe.  Bronson  ap- 
pears to  have  a  larger  population  than  atiy  of  the 
other  towns,  except  Gainesville.  It  is  the  county- 
seat  of  Levy,  where  can  be  found  among  the  actual 
settlers  energetic  Christian  people.  A  diversity  of 
crops,  can  be  obtained  from  this-  soil,  much  of  the 
land  inclining  to  an  undulating  surface. 

Otter  Creek,  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles 
from  Fernandina,  is  the  dinner-station,  kept  by  a 
most  worthy  gentleman — Captain  Mason,  formerly 
of  the  United  States  Army  Indian  war  service.  We 
are  now  entering  the  great  Gulf  Hummock,  the  veg- 
etation changing  from  a  semi-tropical  to  an  entirely 
tropical  character.  Here  the  cabbage-palmetto  and 
hard-wood  trees  rear  their  tops  high  in  the  air — a 
characteristic  of  the  rich  hummock  soil.  We  see  no 
trailing  vines  killed  every  winter  by  frost,  but  giant 
climbers  twining  around  tree-trunks  so  closely  they 
appear  like  a  portion  of  them.  This  heavy  growth 
converts  the  route  here  into  an  interminable  forest, 
where  only  occasional  spots  or  fragments  of  sun- 
shine peep  through  slight  openings,  that  appear  to 
be  at  no  greater  distance  than  the  tree-tops  over  our 
heads.  These  fertile  lands  are  awaiting  the  muscu- 
lar development  which  has  been  productive  of  such 
marked  results  in  almost  every  portion  of  the  State. 


270          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

EDAR  KEYS  is  the  terminus  of  the  West 
India  Transfer  Railroad  —  that  comfort- 
less, unlovely,  much -abused  sand  and 
water  place — where  people  always  hereto- 
fore have  paid  a  big  price  for  a  small  equivalent. 
There  is  life  in  the  old  town  yet.  She  supports  a 
newspaper  now,  and  has  a  good  hotel,  kept  by  Dr. 
Mcllvaine,  who  knows  how  to  serve  the  traveling 
public,  without  robbing  them,  when  they  are  in  his 
power.  The  memory  of  the  fresh  fried  fish,  they 
can  serve  up  so  fresh  and  hot,  will  make  visitors 
who  go  once  have  a  desire  to  return.  Then,  to 
think  of  oysters  twenty-one  times  in  a  week!  Con- 
sider on  it,  those  who  never  ate  enough  fine,  first- 
class  bivalves  in  they*  lives.  Visitors  who  come 
here  will  find  sailing  and  fishing  very  fine  amuse- 
ment. Cedar  Keys  is  going  to  have  a  big  hotel — 
then  everybody  will  want  to  come,  if  they  can  only 
regulate  the  prices  according  to  the  amount  of  ac- 
commodation. There  is,  no  doubt,  a  bright  future 
before  her  yet. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  imagine  Cedar  Keys 
never  had  a  citizen  in  it  with  an  idea  much  above 
an  oyster,  I  have  copied  the  following,  which  is  a 
specimen  of  the  toasts  drunk  by  the  patriotic  to  the 
military,  July  4,  1843.  They  contain  something  so 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          271 

genuine,  in  the  way  of  word-selecting  and  arrang- 
ing, that  it  really  reads  refreshing  in  these  days, 
when  such  a  surfeit  of  fulsome  flattery  is  consid- 
ered the  only  current  coin  of  the  day: 

"  Mr.  Speaker.  Freedom's  Anniversary :  The 
wilds  of  Florida,  where  echoed  the  Indian's  war- 
whoop  and  the  revengeful  battle-strife,  to-day  bring 
forth  their  festive  offering.  We  celebrate  a  new 
jubilee. 

"By  Mr.  Thompson.  The  champions  of  Flori- 
da's restoration  from  the  desolations  of  war — Gen- 
erals Jessup  and  Worth. 

"By  Mr. Brown.  Colonel  Beljoiap:  The  red  man's 
friend  in  peace — the  terror  of  the  savage  in  war. 

"By  William  Cooley.  Colonel  \Vm.  S.  Harney: 
The  brave  and  gallant  avenger  of  savage  atrocity 
and  barbarity. 

"By  Augustus  Steele,  Esq.  General  Worth:  The 
peaceful  fields  we  till,  the  quiet  roads  we  travel  in 
happy  security,  the  waving  corn  and  lowing  herds 
that  gladden  our  senses,  bespeak  our  remembrance 
and  admiration  of  the  skill  and  intrepidity,  also  the 
indomitable  perseverance  which,  under  difficulties 
little  less  than  insurmountable,  have  secured  us 
these  blessings." 

The  "moving  impulse"  from  Cedar  Keys  for  a 
long  time  was  in  a  weak  condition,  the  II.  Cool 
being  the  only  craft  to  convey  passengers  from  here 
to  Manatee  and  Tampa.  However,  now  two  regu- 
lar steamers,  with  good  accommodations,  are  to  be 
had,  without  the  prospect  of  a  dive  beneath  the 
briny  waves. 


272          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Many  imagine  that  a  trip  to  South  Florida  is  an 
enterprise  which  would  require  the  fortitude  of  a 
Stanley  to  undertake.  It  is  true,  the  inaccessible 
position  of  some  localities  in  this  portion  of  the 
State  would  be  rather  impracticable  for  feeble  inva- 
lids;  but  what  more  could  craving  humanity  de- 
mand than  a  climate  where  the  thermometer  never 
rises  over  ninety,  and  rarely  descends  lower  than 
sixty?  Bv  taking  a  creditable  steamer  at  Cedar 

*/  »/  o 

Keys,  we  can  reach  Manatee,  the  point  of  our  desti- 
nation. Sometimes  the  gulf  is  a  little  rough,  but 
very  often  smooth  as  a  mill-pond,  when  we  glide 
along  gently  as  a  sail  across  a  summer  sea. 

Clear  Water  Harbor,  the  last  point  before  Mana- 
tee, was  first  explored  by  Narvaez,  whom  the  In- 
dians received  without  demonstrations  of  fear  or 
hostility.  After  the  Spaniards  landed,  they  were 
attracted  by  the  gold  worn  upon  the  persons  of  the 
Indians,  which  they  said  came  from  the  far  North. 
These  Spaniards,  being  both  sailors  and  soldiers, 
wearied  with  maritime  pursuits  and  fighting,  now 
resolved  to  try  their  fortunes  on  land.  They 
started  with  three  hundred  men,  in  a  north-west 
course,  to  search  for  the  mountains  of  gold.  In 
their  travels  they  discovered  nothing  but  fatigue, 
privation,  disappointment,  and  death,  wherever  they 
went.  But  four  of  the  number  survived,  who  be- 
came medicine  men  among  the  Indians  —  finally 
making  their  way  to  Mexico,  after  an  absence  of  six 
or  seven  }Tears. 

Nothing  of  particular  interest  occurs  to  break  the 
monotony  during  our  voyage  to  Manatee,  one  him- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         273 

drcd  miles  distant  from  Cedar  Keys.  It  is  situated 
on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  fifteen  miles  from  the 
gulf.  It  was  named  from  the  sea-cow,  which  was 
found  there,  and  used  as  an  article  of  food.  Vis- 
itors or  immigrants  may  have  the  fondest  dream 
of  their  imagination  realized  in  finding  here  all  the 
natural  accompaniments  for  a  pleasant  home. 

The  view  of  Manatee,  as  we  approach  the  town, 
is  not  particularly  imposing — the  houses  being  scat- 
tered in  every  direction,  like  the  forces  of  a  retreat- 
ing army,  while  each  settler  appears  to  have  taken 
possession  of  what  land  he  could  cultivate  as  he  came. 
The  dwellings  are  embowered  in  orange-trees,  which 
in  March  freight  the  air  with  a  perfume  that  per- 
meates our  very  existence,  producing  a  kind  of  lux- 
urious rest,  when  time  and  all  objects  around  us 
move  as  though  in  dreamland. 

Perennial  spring-time  keeps  vegetation  growing 
all  winter.  The  Palma  Christi,  in  this  locality,  be- 
comes a  large  tree,  yielding  its  beans  perfectly  every 
year;  while  tomato-vines  grow  to  an  immense  size, 
twining  into  shady  bowers,  fruiting,  without  cessa- 
tion, until  three  years  old,  when  the  tomato  has  a 
strong  flavor,  resembling  the  vine.  The  guava, 
from  which  the  jelly  of  commerce  is  manufactured, 
grows  spontaneously,  and  it  is  said  the  mamma  of 
all  in  South  Florida  still  flourishes  at  this  place. 
The  lands  in  the  vicinity  are  pine,  hummock,  and 
prairie.  The  pine -land  requires  fertilizing  —  the 
hummock,  clearing  and  ditching — when  two  hogs- 
heads of  sugar  and  seventy  five  gallons  of  sirup  are 
the  average  product  of  an  acre,  which,  to  those  who 


274         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

never  in  their  lives  had  as  much  sugar  as  they  could 
eat,  is  a  sweet  item. 

The  prairie-lands  furnish  sustenance  for  the  low- 
ing herds,  which  are  wild  as  deer.  They  are  cap- 
tured by  a  song  the  "cow-boys"  sing,  resembling 
nothing  else  in  the  world.  Where  it  originated, 
none  can  tell ;  but  the  cattle  gather  from  afar 
whenever  it  is  sung,  and  are  then  driven  at  will  by 
those  long  rawhide  lashes  that  pop  like  pistols, 
many  times  cutting  out  pieces  of  quivering  flesh, 
at  which  the  sight  of  humanity  would  shrink. 

The  lusciousness  of  oranges  produced  here  is 
incomparable,  particularly  when  contrasted  with 
those  sour,  stringy  products  of  commerce.  "We 
have  tasted  this  fruit  from  every  clime,  but  never 
have  the  Manatee  oranges  been  excelled.  How 
ripe  and  delicious  they  grow  on  those  tall  trees, 
where  they  hang  constantly  exposed  to  the  rays  of 
a  tropical  sun  until  March!  Messrs.  Gates,  Whit- 
taker  &  Lee  have  old  bearing  groves,  while  hun- 
dreds of  others  are  coming  on. 

When  we  reflect  upon  the  superabundance  of 
natural  products  that  flourish  in  this  locality,  with 
which  to  supply  the  necessities  of  life,  can  we  won- 
der why  one  of  the  wrecks  of  once  powerful  tribes 
so  long  resisted  the  encroachments  of  white  set- 
tlers, contesting  for  territory  until  nearly  extinct, 
many  of  them  suffering  with  the  calmness  of  Chris- 
tian martyrs,  or  the  bravery  of  Roman  heroes — thus 
regarding  death  with  a  lofty  disdain  ?  The  Indians, 
like  the  wild  beasts  in  whose  skins  they  were  clad, 
have  been  driven,  by  the  march  of  civilization,  far- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         275 

ther  and  farther  into  the  grass-water  country,  where, 
like  a  lion  deprived  of  his  claws,  resentment  has  died 
for  want  of  strength  to  assert  its  prowess,  while,  by 
contact  with  an  enlightened  race,  their  original  in- 
dependence has  been  brought  into  a  state  of  subju- 
gation. 

In  this  portion  of  Florida  the  cactus-pear  grows 
to  an  immense  size.  History  mentions  a  peculiar 
tribe  of  Indians  who  once  lived  here  with  as  little 
solicitude  for  their  support  as  the  birds  of  passage, 
especially  in  the  pear-season,  which  was  hailed  by 
them  as  a  period  of  feasting  —  their  only  labor 
being  to  obtain  the  pears,  which  they  afterward 
peeled  and  roasted  for  present  use,  or  dried  and 
packed  like  figs,  to  eat  on  their  journeys,  while  the 
remaining  portion  of  their  time  was  passed  in  the 
observance  of  their  various  festivals  and  dancing — 
their  houses  being  made  of  palm -matting,  which 
the}7  carried  on  their  backs — thus  moving  their  hab- 
itations, every  three  or  four  days,  without  the  slight- 
est inconvenience. 

The  inducements  for  immigration  here  are  equal 
to  any  in  the  State.  Adventurers  do  not  flourish  on 
this  soil,  the  residents,  taken  as  a  mass,  being  the 
best  that  can  be  found.  Many  of  them  from  the 
Southern  States,  uprooted  from  their  old  homes  by 
the  reverses  of  war,  but  not  disheartened,  have  come 
down  here  to  take  root  and  thrive  again.  Church 
privileges  are  enjoyed,  in  a  church  where  quiet 
Christian  people  assemble  for  worship.  Also  three 
well-taught  schools  in  the  town  and  vicinity.  Two 
good  resident  physicians,  but  dependent  on  visitors 


276          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

for  a  support — one  of  them  from  a  malarious  coun- 
try, who  came  here  to  escape  death.  Here,  as  in 
other  localities,  settlers  have  to  sow  before  they  can 
reap,  hut  the  natural  growth  in  the  hummocks  evi- 
dences great  fertility  of  soil. 

The  Manatee  hoarding- houses  are  sanitariums, 
where  more  trouble  is  taken  to  please  visitors,  at 
less  expense,  than  at  almost  any  other  place  in  the 
State.  The  tables  are  supplied  with  food  visitors 
can  eat,  that  will  nourish  them — not  what  the  host 
chooses  to  furnish.  I  well  remember  with  what  a 
troubled  look  Mrs.  Gates  took  me  into  the  larder 
one  day  after  having  dined  on  lemonade.  There 
was  a  quantity  of  provisions  to  gladden  the  hun- 
gry :  almost  an  entire  roasted  wild  turkey,  stuffed 
quarter  of  venison,  fresh -baked  fish,  home-made 
lighr-bread  and  biscuits,  pound-cake,  rich  lemon 
pies — any  of  which  would  tempt  an  epicurean  taste. 
"You  are  eating  nothing  hardly,"  said  she;  "  nowr, 
whenever  you  wish,  come  and  help  yourself." 

The  remoteness  of  this  point  from  the  principal 
resorts  is  the  only  objection.  Every  one  who  comes 
says  the  climate  is  perfect.  The  streams  and  gulf 
swarm  with  fish.  Visitors  sit  on  the  wharf  and  re- 
create in  catching  twenty-pound  snappers,  while  at 
low-tide  the  rheumatic  old  men  wade  about  in  the 
warm  salt-water,  happy  as  boys  just  entering  their 
teens.  Let  all  those  who  dream  of  sand-hills,  and 
only  starvation  staring  them  in  the  face  while  in 
Florida,  come  to  Manatee.  A  pure  sea-breeze  per- 
vades the  whole  surrounding  country,  the  even- 
ness of  temperature  producing  a  very  genial  and 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          277 

happy  influence  in  pulmonic  diseases,  more  than  all 
the  drugs  compounded  by  any  pharmaceutist  in  the 
world.  The  moon  here  shines  with  a  clear,  lumin- 
ous light  of  two  common  moons — an  indescribable 
brilliancy  that  transforms  the  darkness  of  night  al- 
most into  a  continued  day,  which  has  a  tendency 
to  bewilder,  and  make  us  think  we  are  in  a  laud  of 
fabled  beauty,  more  than  a  troubled  world,  to  be 
tossed  again  by  the  tempests  incident  to  life.  This 
appears  to  be  the  native  home  of  the  grape-vine, 
where  all  varieties  flourish  finely.  Think  of  the 
money  that  is  expended  every  year  in  sending  to 
foreign  countries  for  the  one  article  of  wine,  and 
what  a  miserable,  adulterated  mixture  is  brought 
over,  only  dashed  a  little  with  pure  grape-juice, 
while  the  drugs  introduced  would  cause  any  one 
with  delicate  sensibilities  to  shrink  from  the 
thought  of  swallowing !  If  a  reliable  firm  were  to 
come  here  and  undertake  the  culture  of  vineyards, 
manufacturing  pure  wines,  it  would  be  found  more 
remunerative  than  orange-growing,  the  risk  being 
not  half  so  great,  as  the  wine  is  improving  with 
age,  while  fresh  fruits  decay  very  rapidly,  when 
being  transferred.  Invalids,  in  coming  to  Florida, 
bring  their  wines;  whereas,  if  they  could  be  fur- 
nished with  a  better  article  at  much  less  rates,  they 
would  soon  find  it  more  advantageous  to  patronize 
a  home -product,  the  compounding  of  which  they 
knew  to  be  genuine  as  the  far-famed  vintage  of  the 
Rhine.  Wine  has  always  been  in  use  from  the 
days  of  Noah  to  the  present  time,  although  brig- 
ades of  men  and  women-crusaders  have  screamed 


278          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

themselves  hoarse  in  proclaiming  its  evils  and 
wicked  influences.  If  the  manufacture  of  wines 
from  pure  grape-juice  was  encouraged,  this  beastly 
drunkenness  from  strychnine  whisky  would  very 
soon  be  abandoned. 

Sometimes  here,  as  in  other  places,  the  laborer  is 
not  rewarded  in  his  efforts  to  raise  a  good  crop,  which, 
in  this  far-famed  country  for  fertility  and  productive- 
ness, is  pronounced  a  fraud  practiced  by  somebody 
in  holding  out  inducements  for  them  to  come  to 
Florida  and  starve.  No  person  has  ever  been  known 
to  suffer  for  food  in  this  portion  of  the  State — as  an 
illustration  of  which,  one  man  has  lived  in  the  vi- 
cinity nearly  thirty  years,  reared  a  large  family,  and 
none  can  testify  to  his  having  done  a  whole  day's 
work  during  that  time.  The  safe  way  is  to  cultivate 
a  variety  of  vegetables  and  fruits  —  something  wrill 
thrive.  Sweet  potatoes  are  indigenous,  and  never 
fail,  making  fine  food  for  man  and  beast.  Sugar- 
cane is  a  sure  crop,  ratooning  without  replanting  for 
six  years,  if  properly  cultivated,  and,  as  it  is  never 
injured  by  frost,  blooms  and  perfects  seed. 

Bees  can  be  successfully  kept,  on  account  of  the 
mild  climate,  as  they  can  work  all  the  year.  Much 
wild  honey  has  been  taken  from  trees,  which  is  a 
proof  of  their  adaptation  to  this  place.  Patent  hives 
have  not  been  introduced,  or  perhaps  these  old-fash- 
ioned bees  would  not  fancy  so  many  apartments  in 
their  palaces;  but  it  would,  no  doubt,  be  worth  the 
experiment  to  try  them.  Bee-gums  made  from  a 
hollow  log,  set  flat  on  the  ground,  are  principally  in 
use.  A  good  swarm  is  said  to  yield  seventy -five 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          279 

pounds  of  honey  in  a  season.  No  apiarian  societies 
have  been  yet  established,  and  very  little  attention 
is  given  to  the  bee  industry  in  any  way.  Some 
planters  have  twenty -five  or  fifty  colonies.  Bee- 
culture  will  be  introduced  as  the  industry  of  the 
country  is  developed,  and  the  sweet  tastes  of  the 
people  demand  it.  When  you  are  asked  by  the 
Floridians  if  you  will  take  "long  sweetenin' "  or 
"short  sweetenin'"  in  your  coffee,  remember  the 
"long  sweetenin'  "  is  honey,  and  the  "short"  sugar. 

Let  all  those  who  wish  to  avoid  the  long,  dreary, 
drizzly  days  during  March  and  April,  in  more  North- 
ern latitudes,  when  the  warm  current  of  life  is  al- 
most chilled  into  frigidity,  come  to  South  Florida, 
and  roam  by  the  river-side,  or  glide  across  the  quiet 
lakes  in  light  canoes;  ply  the  oar  at  night,  when  the 
bright  moonbeams  kiss  the  parting  waves,  or  while 
the  iridescent  rays  of  dancing  sunbeams  shimmer 
under  the  brightness  of  a  tropical  sky. 

It  is  now  the  last  of  February,  and  the  sunny  side 
of  nature  is  beaming  upon  the  oleanders  that  are 
bursting  their  pink  petals,  while  the  orange -trees 
are  sending  forth  fresh  leaves  that  envelop  the  germs 
of  the  far-famed  Hesperidean  fruit.  The  w?ild  or- 
ange is  in  bloom,  which  freights  the  air  with  deli- 
cious odors,  although  the  fruit  is  only  used  for 
making  beverages  and  marmalade.  The  banana, 

O  O 

which  is  cultivated  as  corn  is  farther  North,  has 
commenced  putting  up  fresh  shoots,  whose  leaves 
are  to  take  the  place  of  those  rent  in  shreds  by  the 
rude  winds  that  have  spent  their  fury  on  this  coast 
during  the  Northern  winters. 


280          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

The  air  is  now  soft  as  a  sleeping  zephyr  on  a  sum- 
mer sea,  while  the  earth  is  covered  with  a  fresh  car- 
pet of  green,  mingled  with  white  and  blue  violets, 
the  tiny  forget-me-not,  the  wild  verbena,  the  purple 
and  yellow  crocus,  and  other  flowers  of  less  humble 
growth,  and  more  varied  hues  than  can  be  described, 
deck  the  landscape  with  beauty,  gemming  the  wild 
woods  with  loveliness,  and  filling  our  hearts  with 
delight.  Sounds  of  melody  echo  from  sunlit  bowers, 
where  birds  of  song  flit  on  airy  wings,  and  the  gen- 
tle cries  of  fledglings  arouse  the  maternal  instincts 
to  greater  exertion. 

Every  settler  is  busy  gathering  oranges,  which  will 
be  ruined  if  left  on  the  trees  when  they  commence 
blooming,  as  the  juice  is  required  to  perfect  the  fut- 
ure blooms.  Young  trees  are  being  transplanted, 
palmettoes  dug  out,  cows  penned  for  milking,  calves 
caught  and  marked — as  no  one  can  recover  the  value 
of  a  stolen  animal  not  branded.  Poets  have  called 
the  rose  "  a  child  of  summer."  Those  rhyme-writers 
never  visited  Manatee,  where  new-born  roses  open 
every  day,  and  summer  lingers  all  the  year.  This 
vicinity,  like  most  other  places,  has  its  historic  rec- 
ord of  various  data.  It  is  here  the  pirates  Ambro- 
ister  and  Arbuthnot  were  captured,  arid  afterward 
hanged  b}r  order  of  General  Jackson.  These  lands 
were  once  the  hunting-grounds  of  Billy  Bowlegs, 
who  defeated  General  Taylor  at  Ocheechobe  Lake, 
during  the  Seminole  war.  When  Bowlegs  was  be- 
ing taken  through  the  Capitol-building  in  Washing- 
ton, he  gave  only  a  stupid  stare  or  grunt  at  all  other 
objects  except  an  oil-painting,  where,  among  other 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          281 

figures,  was  General  Z.  Taylor,  at  which  he  grinned 
with  a  look  of  satisfaction,  exclaiming,  "  Me  whip !  " 
The  old  chieftain  was  a  great  hunter.  When  expos- 
tulated with  for  hunting  game  on  Sunday,  he  very 
promptly  replied,  "White  man  have  good  book  to 
read,  and  he  work  on  Sunday." 

From  this  place  Hon.  Judah  P.  Benjamin,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Confederate  States,  now  Solicitor-general 
for  the  Queen  of  England,  made  his  escape.  Here 
he  remained  six  months  under  an  assumed  name, 
with  the  pretext  of  desiring  to  purchase  hummock- 
lancls.  During  his  stay  newspapers  were  shown  him 
by  his  friends,  in  which  wrere  large  rewards  offered 
for  his  capture ;  but  his  protectors  scorned  treachery 
for  gold.  He  left  Manatee,  disguised  as  a  cook,  on 
board  a  sloop.  Before  they  reached  Key  West  their 
little  craft  was  overhauled  by  a  United  States  rev- 
enue-cutter. The  powerless  foe  for  whom  they  were 
searching,  not  being  recognized  in  his  galley  dis- 
guise, ran  the  gauntlet  in  safety.  While  on  his  way 
to  Nassau  the  schooner  in  which  he  was  sailing,  not 
being  able  to  resist  the  heavy  seas  that  it  had  to  en- 
counter, sunk,  when  he  was  shipwrecked,  losing  all 
his  personal  effects,  and  was  rescued  from  drowning 
only  by  escaping  to  a  small  boat,  from  which  he  was 
afterward  picked  up  by  an  English  vessel.  He  was 
recently  solicited  to  write  an  account  of  his  advent- 
ures before  escaping  to  Europe,  but  replied,  "  It  is 
too  soon." 

In  this  portion  of  Florida  have  been  discovered 
bones  of  immense  size,  belonging  to  an  order  of 
animals  now  extinct — these  being  fragments  of  the. 
13 


282          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

mammiferons  mastodon   and  megatherium,  which 
furnish  material  for  study  that  takes  us  back  to  the 


earliest  history  of  the  world,  before  giants  lived,  or 
Adam  was  made  out  of  the  red  clay,  to  enter  Eden 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          283 

•  and  participate  in  its  primeval  glories.  When  those 
creatures,  that  now  only  excite  our  wonder,  walked 
the  earth,  covered  with  their  piles  of  flesh,  moving 
with  majestic  tread  the  uninhabited  globe,  the  sloth 
was  then  the  size  of  an  ox,  the  bear  as  large  as  a 
horse.  Portions  of  vertebrae  belonging  to  the  mas- 
todon giganticus — a  race  of  elephants  that  lived  dur- 
ing the  tertiary  period — have  been  discovered  here, 
measuring  eleven  feet  in  height,  with  a  body  seven- 
teen feet  in  length,  and  a  huge  tail  over  six  feet 
long.  The  bones  of  this  animal,  when  exhumed, 
were  found  in  marl -pits,  or  salt-licks  containing 
saline  matter,  to  which  may  be  attributed  their  re- 
markable preservation.  Their  grinding-teeth  were 
adapted  to  a  much  coarser  article  of  diet  than  that 
consumed  by  elephants  of  the  present  period.  They 
have  also  been  called  "the  hairy  elephant."  Was 
it  not  the  mammoth  megatherium  that  furnished 
the  aborigines  with  material  for  pointing  their  spears 
and  manufacturing  their  bone  implements,  the  re- 
mains of  which  are  now  frequently  found  beneath 
the  tumuli  of  Florida?  The  megatherium  was  a 
contemporary  of  the  mastodon — a  few  bones  having 
been  exhumed  in  South  Florida;  but  Skiddaway,  on 
the  coast  of  Georgia,  has  furnished  remains  of  the 
most  perfect  and  interesting  specimens  of  this  ani- 
mal ever  found  in  North  America,  discovered  in 
1855.  This  herbivorous  creature  belonged  to  an 
extinct  species  of  sloth,  which  had  ribs  measuring 
more  than  three  inches  in  width,  and  teeth  nine 
inches  long,  its  thigh-bones  being  three  times  the 
thickness  of  those  of  the  largest  elephant,  with  fore- 


284 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


feet  one  yard  in  length,  a  body  eighteen  feet  long, 
and  its  massive  tail  two  feet  in  diameter,  which  ena- 
bled the  animal  to  balance  its  body  while  feeding, 
and  also  use  it  as  a  weapon  of  defense.  The  weight 
of  its  hind-legs  and  tail  prevented  it  from  somer- 
saulting while  cutting  down  trees  wTith  its  teeth. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          285 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ORTY  miles  from  Manatee  is  to  be  seen  the 
remains  of  Tampa.  Your  morning  slum- 
bers will  not  be  interrupted  here  by  the 
hammers  of  rude  workmen,  who  are  usu- 
ally so  inconsiderate  for  the  comfort  of 
others  in  their  noisv  movements.  During;  the  Flor- 

•/  o 

ida  war  this  town  boasted  more  prosperity  than  at 
any  subsequent  period.  It  was  then  a  military  station 
for  the  soldiers,  and  depot  for  army  supplies;  also 
a  kind  of  central  point  for  this  portion  of  the  State. 
Here  the  Indians  were  ordered  to  report  before  be- 
ing sent  West.  Its  early  settlement  was  commenced 
under  difficulties  by  Navaraez,  who,  in  1828,  landed 
at  Tampa  Bay,  and,  after  penetrating  some  portions 
of  the  interior,  returned  and  sailed  for  Cuba,  leaving 
one  of  his  companions — Juan  Ortiz — whom  the  In- 
dians had  captured  without  his  knowledge.  The 
extreme  youth  of  Ortiz  excited  sympathy  among 
the  Indian  women,  who  rescued  him  from  being 
burned,  but  the  men  made  him  feel  the  bitterness  of 
bondage,  until  his  life  became  a  burden.  They 
required  him  during  their  festal- days  to  run  the 
gauntlet  for  their  amusement,  his  celerity  on  these 
occasions  saving  him  from  death.  As  a  variety  in 
his  servitude,  he  was  employed  to  watch  through 
long,  wearisome  nights  in  the  graveyard.  The  In- 


286          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

dians  then  buried  their  dead  above  ground  in  boxes, 
placing  only  a  rock  on  the  lid — the  bodies  being  fre- 
quently dragged  out  by  animals.  Poor  Ortiz  had 
been  so  miserable  while  among  the  living  that  he 
now  looked  to  the  dead  for  an  amelioration  of  his 
condition.  Armed  with  his  bow  and  arrow,  he 
stood  as  sentry  over  the  silent  slumberers,  when, 
unfortunately,  one  night  he  sunk  into  a  somnambu- 
listic state  himself.  The  body  of  an  infant  was 
missing,  the  falling  lid  awakening  him.  Ortiz  fol- 
lowed in  the  direction  of  the  retreating  footsteps, 
when  he  discovered  a  panther,  which  he  instantly 
shot,  and  secured  the  corpse.  For  this  act  of  brav- 
ery he  was  taken  into  favor  by  the  Indians,  and  soon 
afterward  rescued  from  their  caprices  and  cruelties 
by  De  Soto,  who  landed  in  1539,  he  having  sailed 
from  Cuba.  He  came  with  more  display  of  pa- 
geantry than  America  had  ever  seen  before,  entering 
the  waters  of  Tampa  Bay  on  Whitsunday — hence  he 
named  it  Espiritu  Santo.  The  geography  of  the 
country  fought  against  those  who  tried  to  penetrate 
its  recesses — passing  through  morasses  below  sea- 
level  was  accompanied  with  greater  difficulties  than 
they  had  imagined  before  trying  the  experiment. 
After  their  arrival,  most  of  their  time  was  spent  in 
feasting  and  rioting,  more  becoming  a  returning  tri- 
umph than  an  entrance  into  a  new  country.  The 
Indians  made  a  descent  on  them  one  night  after  a 
bacchanalian  revel,  wounding  three  of  their  number, 
notwithstanding  the  heavy  armor  in  which  their 
bodies  were  incased.  De  Soto  soon  left  this  coun- 
try in  search  of  other  conquests  and  greater  treas- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          287 

ures  than  awaited  him  here.  On  account  of  the 
remoteness  of  Tampa  from  the  other  early  settle- 
ments in  the  State,  it  was  occupied  almost  entirely 
by  Indians  until  during  the  Florida  war.  Billy 
Bowlegs  was  chief  of  the  tribe  here,  but  lived  near 
Manatee.  His  last  visit  to  the  commander  was  per- 
formed under  great  difficulties,  the  army  head-quar- 
ters being  in  Tampa.  He  was  permitted  to  remain 
iu  the  territory,  on  account  of  his  peaceable  inclina- 
tions, after  his  tribe  had  been  ordered  to  the  West. 
Such  was  the  desire  and  anxiety  of  this  aged  chief- 
tain to  see  the  military  commandant  face  to  face, 
and  give  him  renewed  assurances  of  fidelity  to  his 
engagements,  in  hope  of  silencing  the  clamors  of 
white  alarmists,  a  report  of  which. bad  reached  him, 
that  the  weight  of  infirmities  under  which  he  was 
laboring  was  insufficient  to  stop  him,  the  journey 
being  performed  under  circumstances  that  gave  con- 
clusive evidence  of  his  peaceful  intentions.  So 
great,  indeed,  was  his  decrepitude,  that  during  his 
last  days — being  wholly  unable  to  travel,  even  on 
horseback — he  was  borne  on  a  litter  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  his  men. 

In  consideration  of  the  fine  timber  which  sur- 
rounds Tampa,  two  mills  are  employed  —  one  in 
sawing  cedar,  the  other  pine.  The  cedar  here  is  of 
much  finer  quality  than  the  upland,  containing  more 
oil.  At  the  mill  it  is  sawed  into  pencil-lengths,  after 
which  it  is  packed  in  boxes,  and  shipped  to  New 
York,  and  other  points,  for  making  pencils.  The 
cabbage-palm  grows  in  the  vicinity,  and  is  much 
used  in  building  wharves — it  not  being  effected  by 


288          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

the  sea -water,  and  resisting  the  attacks  of  the 
Teredo  Navalis,  which  destroys  the  hulls  of  vessels 
when  made  of  any  other  timber  but  this,  which  it 
never  molests. 

The  schools  here  are  not  considered  by  many  as 
important  institutions,  consequently  are  in  rather  an 
embryo  condition.  We  visited  one  taught  in  the 
court-house.  This  structure,  not  unlike  many  oth- 
ers in  the  vicinity,  is  among  the  things  that  lack 
symmetry  and  sound  timbers.  The  present  in- 
cumbent in  charge  of  this  school  is  a  genuine 
specimen  of  the  Illinois  backwoods  race.  His  vis- 
age looked  blank  as  the  door  before  which  he  sat 
chewing  the  Virginia  weed,  and  firing  jets  of  juice, 
evidently  making  a  bigger  effort  with  his  jaws  than 
his  brains.  His  pupils  were  undergoing  a  heavy 
cramming  process.  Meaningless,  incomprehensible 
words  were  being  wedged  into  their  heads  so  tightly 
they  never  could  be  got  out,  either  for  use  or  orna- 
ment. How  those  bright-eyed  little  boys  were  mar- 
tyring auxiliary  perfect  passive  participles  and  verbs ! 
One  fact  was  evident:  if  they  had  a  better  auxiliary 
to  instruct  them,  they  would  have  a  more  luxuriant 
growth  of  intellect  than  they  were  obtaining  under 
the  present  regimen. 

"We  do  not  take  leave  of  this  place  as  of  a  dear 
friend.  Its  deep  sandy  sidewalks  are  any  thing  but 
inviting  for  p»-omenaders.  The  decaying  structures 
and  dilapidated  fences  remind  us  of  old  age,  "when 
the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble."  The  place 
looks  discouraged  from  sheer  weariness  in  trying  to 
be  a  town.  The  hotel-keepers  are  wishing  for  a  few 


Petals  Plucked  from,  Sunny  Climes.          289 

guests  which  the}-  ccmld  relieve  of  three  dollars  per 
diem.  The  merchants  appear  anxious,  as  though 
they  wanted  somebody  to  come  and  make  purchases. 
They  are  of  that  class  which  look  at  everybody  with 
an  eye  to  business,  wondering  how  much  money 
they  can  grind  out  of  each  customer  in  a  given  space 
of  time. 

Old  Tampa,  many  years  ago,  was  considered  a 
famous  resort  for  consumptives.  Persons  advanced 
in  life,  from  all  parts,  now  speak  in  glowing  terms 
of  the  uniform  temperature  of  its  atmosphere.  But 
indifferent  houses 'of  entertainment,  charging  exor- 
bitant rates,  will  soon  ruin  the  popularity  of  any 
place.  Fort  Brooke,  of  Indian  fame,  is  found  here. 
It  was  originally  designed  as  a  means  of  defense 
during  the  Florida  wars.  It  is  now  a  desolate, 
tumble-down  old  place.  The  fine  site  it  occupies, 
together  with  some  ancient- looking  water- oaks, 
standing  like  sentinels,  is  all  that  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  least  degree  attractive.  The  Federal  Govern- 
ment has  been  paying  eighteen  hundred  dollars  per 
annum  to  keep  the  place  from  being  destroyed, 
while  no  one  would  be  willing  to  make  an  invest- 
ment of  that  amount  for  the  entire  contents,  land 
and  all. 

When  Coacoochee  was  captured  the  last  time,  he 
was  brought  to  Tampa.  General  Worth,  on  receiv- 
ing the  information  that  Wild  Cat  was  a  prisoner, 
visited  him,  with  a  number  of  his  officers,  for  the 
purpose  of  an  interview.  The  general,  with  his 
staff',  appeared  in  full  uniform,  that  the  scene  might 
not  be  lacking  in  pageant.  They  met  upon  the 


290          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

deck  of  the  vessel,  and,  taking  the  chief  by  the 
hand,  General  Worth  spoke  as  follows : 

"Coacoochee,  I  take  you  by  the  hand  as  a  warrior 
and  a  brave  man.  You  love  your  home  as  we  do ;  it 
is  sacred  to  you ;  the  ashes  of  your  countrymen  are 
dear  to  you  and  the  Seminole.  These  feelings  have 
caused  much  bloodshed,  distress,  and  horrid  mur- 
ders :  it  is  time  now  the  Indian  felt  the  power  of  the 
white  man.  Like  the  oak,  you  may  bear  up  for 
many  years  against  the  strong  winds,  but  the  time 
comes  when  it  must  fall — it  has  now  arrived.  You 
have  withstood  the  blasts  of  five"  winters,  and  the 
storms  of  thunder,  and  lightning,  and  wind,  for 
five  summers;  the  branches  have  fallen,  and  the 
tree  burnt  at  the  roots  is  prostrate.  Coacoochee,  I 
am  your  friend ;  so  is  your  Great  Father  at  Washing- 
ton. What  I  say  to  you  is  true.  My  tongue  is  not 
forked  like  a  snake's.  My  word  is  for  the  happiness 
of  the  red  man.  You  are  a  great  warrior;  the  In- 
dians throughout  the  country  look  to  you  as  a 
leader;  by  your  counsels  they  have  been  governed. 
Much  innocent  blood  has  been  shed.  You  have 
made  the  ground  and  your  hands  red  with  the  blood 
of  innocent  women  and  children.  This  war  must 
end  now,  and  you  are  the  man  to  do  it.  I  sent  for 
you,  that  through  the  exertions  of  yourself  and  your 
men  you  might  induce  your  entire  band  to  emigrate. 
I  wish  you  to  state  how  many  days  it  will  take  to 
effect  an  interview  with  the  Indians  in  the  woods. 
You  can  select  three  or  five  of  these  men  to  carry 
your  talk :  name  the  time,  it  shall  be  granted.  But  I 
tell  yon,  as  I  wish  your  friends  told,  that  unless  they 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          291 

fulfill  your  demands,  yourself  and  these  warriors 
now  seated  before  us  shall  be  hung  to  the  yards  of 
this  vessel  when  the  sun  sets  on  the  appointed  day, 
with  the  irons  upon  your  hands  and  feet.  I  tell 
you  this,  that  we  may  well  understand  each  other. 
I  do  not  wish  to  frighten  you  ;  you  are  too  brave  a 
man  for  that;  but  I  say  what  I  mean,  and  I  will  do 
it.  It  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  white  and  red  man. 
The  war  must  end,  and  you  must  end  it ! " 

A  profound  silence  pervaded  the  company  after  the 
general  ceased  speaking,  when  Coacoochee  arose  and 
replied  in  a  feeling  tone : 

"I  was  once  a  boy ;  then  I  saw  the  pale  face  afar 
off.  I  hunted  in  these  woods  first  with  a  bow  and 
arrow,  then  with  a  rifle.  I  saw  the  white  man,  and 
was  told  he  was  my  enemy.  I  could  not  shoot  him 
as  a  wolf  or  bear;  yet,  like  these,  he  came  upon 
me:  horses,  cattle,  and  fields,  he  took  from  me. 
He  said  he  was  my  friend ;  he  abused  our  women 
and  children,  and  then  told  us  to  leave  the  land. 
Still  he  gave  me  his  hand  in  friendship  ;  we  took 
it;  while  taking  it  he  had  a  snake  in  the  other;  his 
tongue  was  forked  ;  he  lied  and  stung  us.  I  asked 
but  for  a  small  piece  of  these  lands  —  enough  to 
plant  and  live  upon,  far  south — a  spot  where  I  could 
place  the  ashes  of  my  kindred,  a  spot  only  sufficient 
where  I  could  lay  my  wife  and  child.  This  was  not 
granted  me.  I  was  put  in  prison  ;  I  escaped.  I 
have  been  again  taken  ;  you  have  brought  me 
back;  I  am  here;  I  feel  the  irons  in  my  heart.  I 
have  listened  to  your  talk.  You  and  your  officers 
have  taken  us  by  the  hand  in  friendship.  I  thank 


292          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

you  for  bringing  me  back.  I  can  now  see  my  war- 
riors, my  women  and  children  ;  the  Great  Spirit 
thanks  you — the  heart  of  the  poor  Indian  thanks 
you.  We  know  but  little ;  we  have  no  books 
which  tell  us  all  things,  but  we  have  the  Great 
Spirit,  moon  and  stars — these  told  me  last  night 
you  would  be  our  friend.  I  give  you  my  word  ;  it 
is  the  word  of  a  warrior,  a  chief,  a  brave ;  it  is  the 
word  of  Coacoochee.  It  is  true  I  have  fought  like 
a  man — so  have  my  warriors — but  the  whites  are 
too  strong  for  us.  I  wish  now  to  have  my  band 
around  me,  and  go  to  Arkansas.  You  say  I  must 
end  the  war!  Look  at  these  irons!  Can  I  go  to 
my  warriors?  Coacoochee  chained!  No;  do  not 
ask  me  to  see  them.  I  never  wish  to  tread  upon 
my  land  unless  I  am  free.  If  I  can  go  to  them 
unchained,  they  will  follow  me  in  ;  but  I  fear  they 
will  not  obey  me  when  I  talk  to  them  in  irons. 
They  will  say  my  heart  is  weak  —  I  am  afraid. 
Could  I  go  free,  they  will  surrender  and  emi- 
grate." 

General  Worth  then  informed  him  that  he  could 
not  be  set  at  liberty,  nor  would  his  irons  be  re- 
moved, until  his  entire  band  had  surrendered;  but 
that  he  might  select  three  or  five  prisoners,  who 
should  be  liberated  and  permitted  to  carry  his  talk, 
with  a  respite  of  thirty  or  fifty  days,  if  necessary. 
"Lastly,  I  say  if  the  band  does  not  submit  to  your 
last  wish,  the  sun,  as  it  £oes  down  on  the  last  day 
appointed  for  their  appearance,  will  shine  upon 
your  bodies  hanging  in  the  wind." 

Coacoochee  selected  five  of  his  warriors  to  carrv 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          293 

tliis  message  to  his  band,  making  the  following  ap- 
peal to  them : 

"  My  feet  are  chained,  but  the  head  and  heart  of 
Coacoochee  reaches  you.  The  great  white  chief 
will  be  kind  to  ns.  He  says  when  my  band  comes 
in  I  shall  again  walk  my  land  free  with  them 
around  me.  He  has  given  you  forty  days  to  do 
this  business  in  ;  if  you  want  more,  say  so — I  will 
ask  for  more;  if  not,  be  true  to  the  time.  Take 
these  sticks;  here  are  thirty- nine  —  one  for  each 
day ;  this,  much  larger  than  the  rest,  with  blood 
upon  it,  is  the  fortieth.  When  the  others  are 
thrown  away,  and  this  only  remains,  say  to  my 
people  that  with  the  setting  sun  Coacoochee  hangs 
like  a  dog,  with  none  but  white  men  to  hear  his 
last  words.  Come,  then,  come  by  the  stars,  as  I 
have  led  you  to  battle.  Come,  for  the  voice  of 
Coacoochee  speaks  to  you." 

The  five  Indians  selected  were  started  on  their 
mission,  accompanied  by  old  Micco.  Before  the 
month  expired,  seventy- eight  warriors,  sixt}7-four 
women,  and  forty-seven  children  were  brought  in. 
Coacoochee  was  relieved  when  told  his  band  had 
arrived.  "Take  off  my  irons,"  said  he,  "that  I 
may  once  more  meet  my  warriors  like  a  man." 
Upon  the  removal  of  his  irons,  he  gave  one  wild- 
whoop,  and  rushed  on  shore.  "The  rifle  is  hid," 
said  he,  "and  the  white  and  red  man  are  friends. 
I  have  given  my  word  for  you ;  then  let  my  word 
be  true.  I  am  done." 

The  appeal  of  General  Worth  to  the  vanity  of 
Coacoochee  was  more  efficient  in  closing;  the  war 


294          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

than  all  other  moves  from  its  commencement. 
Wild  Cat  was  more  cunning  than  brave — strate- 
gic than  bold  and  daring;  but  a  vulnerable  chord 
had  been  struck,  and  he  responded  with  apparent 
alacrity. 

Many  Seminole  Indians  were  shipped  from  here 
to  the  West  at  the  close  of  the  war.  The  following 
anecdote  is  related  of  Wild  Cat  after  he  left  Fort 
Brooke,  to  be  banished  forever  from  his  home  in 
Florida:  The  steamer  James  Adams  encountered 
rough  weather  as  soon  as  she  was  outside  the  bay. 
The  waves  of  the  sea  rose  to  a  great  height,  the 
steamer  labored  much,  and  four  feet  of  water  was 
reported  in  her  hold.  Every  thing  that  was  on 
deck  was  cut  loose  and  cast  into  the  sea.  The 
faces  of  the  crew  became  paler  than  usual.  Wild 
Cat  was  on  deck,  an  attentive  observer  of  the  in- 
creasing consternation  of  the  white  men,  when 
suddenly  he  accosted  the  officer  in  these  words : 
"  Be  not  afraid.  The  Great  Spirit  will  not  suffer 
me  to  die  with  the  pale  faces  in  the  manner  you 
now  apprehend.  Tell  me  from  what  quarter  you 
wish  the  wind  to  blow,  in  order  that  the  big  water 
may  become  quiet  and  the  fire-canoe  paddle  on." 
The  officer,  although  attaching  little  importance 
to  what  the  chief  said,  complied  with  his  request 
to  keep  him  quiet.  He  was  taken  to  the  binnacle 
and  shown  the  compass,  by  which  means  he  was 
made  to  understand  from  what  quarter  the  wind 
must  blow  in  order  to  produce  a  calmer  sea. 
Thereupon,  Wild  Cat  commenced  making  signs  in 
the  air,  and  other  demonstrations.  Fifteen  or 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          295 

twenty  minutes  elapsed,  when,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  all  the  whites,  the  storm  abated,  the  winds 
hushed  and  almost  lulled.  The  exertions  of  the 
crew  stopped  the  leaks,  and  enabled  the  boat  to 
proceed  in  safety.  "We  do  not  ask  you  to  believe 
in  the  power  of  Wild  Cat  to  control  the  elements ; 
but  this  anecdote  shows  at  least  self-possession,  and 
the  desire  of  distinction,  and  reverence  for  the  Great 
Spirit,  to  be  prominent  traits  in  the  savage  charac- 
ter, where  others  would  only  think  of  the  peril  before 
their  eyes. 


296          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Meantime  the  steady  wind  serenely  blew, 
And  fast  and  falcon-like  the  vessel  flew. 

) 

OES  any  one  know  what  a  sailing-voyage, 
in  a  coasting-vessel,  from  Tampa  to  Key 
West — a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles — implies?  Some  may  suppose  it  to 
be  a  kind  of  flying  motion  through  the  air, 
or  skimming  swiftly  over  the  waters,  like  a  sea-gull 
in  rough  weather  ;  but  those  who  have  tried  the  ex^ 
periment  find  it  quite  the  reverse.  It  means  a  little 
good  sailing,  an  occasional  fine  breeze  thrown  in, 
with  many  disagreeable  things  to  be  encountered 
and  forgotten  as  soon  as  possible.  For  instance,  the 
first  night  after  leaving,  under  favorable  appear- 
ances, the  wind  dies  out,  the  mainsail  hangs  flabby 
as  a  beggar's  rags  in  a  thunder-shower;  the  sailors 

OO  O  7 

lower  the  canvas,  put  out  the  anchor,  and  all  retire. 
Numerous  drum-fish  select  the  hull  of  the  vessel  as 
their  camping- ground,  where  they  serenade  us  all 
night  with  a  peculiar  drumming  noise,  while  the  loon 
from  the  shore  catches  the  refrain,  and  utters  its  un- 
earthly screams,  which  disturb  our  repose,  mingling 
with  dreams  of  hideous  mien.  The  mattress  is  hard 
as  Pharaoh's  heart.  Bilge -water  keeps  the  cabin 
supplied  with  an  odor  resembling  sulphur-spring 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          297 

surroundings.  Fleas  enter  the  list  of  perplexities,  to 
draw  rations  from  our  perishable  nature,  run  races, 
and  practice  acrobatic  movements  on  our  bodies, 
with  astonishing  facility.  Roaches  as  long  as  your 
little  finger  look  at  us  as  if  meditating  a  fierce  at- 
tack, which,  if  executed,  must  result  in  our  annihi- 
lation. Three  small  children  lying  close  by  are 
screaming  alternately,  from  interrupted  slumbers, 
caused  by  advances  from  the  insect  tribe.  Their 
father,  who  is  a  Methodist  preacher,  applies  hand- 
plasters,  which  silence  the  batteries  temporarily. 
This  will  be  found  a  charming  place  for  the  exercise 
of  patience,  without  the  fortitude  of  Job  to  endure 
trials.  Day  dawns,  and  with  it  comes  breakfast. 
Strong  coffee,  seasoned  .with  highly-colored  sugar, 
the  mixture  stirred  with  a  table-knife,  and  drunk 
from  a  tin  cup,  together  with  well-salted  meat,  fried 
eggs,  and  hard-tack,  furnish  the  repast.  Unpalata- 
ble as  this  food  appears  to  an  epicurean  taste,  the 
sailors  devour  it  with  a  relish,  as  it  gives  them 
strength  to  endure  many  hardships.  The  morning 
wind  is  fair,  although  light,  and  we  are  sailing  again 
toward  Terrasilla  Bay,  which  is  a  portion  of  Tampa, 
bearing  another  name.  The  sugar-crop  is  waiting 
for  shipment  to  Key  West,  and  our  invoice  not  be- 
ing full,  we  stop  for  freight.  Numerous  bars  line 
this  bay,  where  oysters  of  a  delicious  flavor,  and 
clams  of  immense  size  —  some  of  them  weighing 
three  pounds,  with  the  shell — are  obtained  at  low 
tide  without  dredo-ino- 

o       o 

For  the  benefit  of  those  lady-passengers  who,  per- 
chance, may  travel  this  way,  and  have  never  been 


298          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

borne  in  arms  since  they  were  children,  we  can  tell 
you  there  are  no  wharves  here,  no  throwing  out  of 
planks,  no  stopping-places  for  ladies,  between  water 
and  land.  The  vessel  sails  as  near  the  shore  as  pos- 
sible without  grounding,  and  then  the  passengers 
on  board  are  carried  to  terra  firma.  This  is  done 
by  two  sailors,  who  make  a  kind  of  seat  by  clasping 
their  hands  together,  after  which  they  receive  the 
living  freight.  You  put  out  each  arm,  and  clasp 
your  improvised  sedan  around  their  necks,  to  keep 
from  falling.  Sometimes  one  of  the  sailors  is  as 
black  as  tar;  but  it  makes  no  difference  —  "civil 
rights"  is  not  the  question  at  issue  now.  You  can- 
not wade,  or  wet  your  feet,  and  they  will  carry  you 
safely,  this  being  a  portion  of  their  duties,  for  which 
they  are  paid. 

Terrasilla  Island  is  one  of  those  charming  spots 
which  all  admire,  but  none  can  describe.  The  prin- 
cipal inhabitant  is. Madam  Joe,  a  German  lady,  cel- 
ebrated for  her  hospitality.  Here  she  came,  with 
her  husband,  after  the  Florida  war,  to  occupy  lands 
given  them  by  the  Government.  An  adventure  of 
some  kind  was  then  of  daily  occurrence.  Nature 
poured  forth  her  beauties  in  solitude,  and  from  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  primitive  forest-wilderness  were 
echoed  and  reechoed  the  war-whoop  of  the  Indian, 
the  howl  of  the  jaguar,  the  scream  of  the  catamount, 
and  the  threatening  growl  of  old  bruin.'  The  rough 
hands,  stalwart  frame,  and  nut-brown  face  of  this 
lady,  indicate  a  life  to  which  ease  and  idleness  are 
unknown.  Her  home  is  now  transformed  from  a 
wilderness  to  a  place  which  recalls  our  youthful  im- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          299 

ages  of  fairy -land.  Here  you  constantly  feel  as 
though  you  were  having  a  beautiful  dream,  which 
may  be  dissipated  by  some  external  irruption,  and 
the  spell  broken.  How  delightful  to  any  one  who 
has  a  constant  warfare  with  life  to  keep  himself 
master  of  the  situation  is  a  visit  to  this  beautiful 
island,  where  only  the  winds  and  waves  strive  for 
victory,  and  the  excesses  practiced  in  refined  society 
are  unknown!  where  orange -trees  grow  as  tall  as 
Lombardy  poplars,  and  are  laden  with  fruit  hanging 
in  luxuriant  loveliness,  designed  to  delight  all  those 
who  partake.  It  is  now  February;  new  Irish  pota- 
toes, tomatoes,  with  green  peas,  and  egg-plants,  are 
abundant.  Fresh  flowers  are  in  their  bloom  and 
beauty;  the  earth  is  enameled  with  the  white  petals 
of  the  forget-me-not,  in  lieu  of  the  snow-banks 
which  cover  the  ground  farther  North.  Roses  of 
immense  size  are  open,  together  with  verbenas  of 
varied  hues,  geraniums,  salvias,  periwinkles,  and 
corkwood-trees,  all  exhaling  their  fragrance  in  the 
open  air.  Here  in  this  beauteous  bower  Madam 
Joe,  after  her  day's  duties  are  done,  walks,  with  the 
bright  moonbeams  shining  on  her  pathway,  singing 
those  German  patriotic  melodies  so  dear  to  the  heart 
of  every  wanderer  from  the  historic  shores  and  vine- 
clad  hills  of  the  River  Rhine — thus  forming  a  sym- 
phony with  the  ebbing  tide  of  briny  waters  by  which 
her  home  is  surrounded. 

A  young  couple  from  Alabama  are  staying  here, 
who  have  come  with  the  intention  of  settling.  Ro- 
mance has  never  written  any  thing  more  rural,  nor 
the  imagination  of  a  poet  conceived  thoughts  which 


800          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

savor  more  of  poesy,  than  the  real  life  which  they 
lead.  He  lost  an  arm  while  battling  for  his  coun- 
try, but  his  courage  has  never  failed  him.  With  a 
little  assistance  he  has  built  a  palmetto  and  pole 
house,  which  subserves  the  purpose  of  sitting-room 
and  bed-room.  The  white  sand  blows  in  sometimes, 
during  the  day,  from  the  beach,  falling  on  the  bed, 
converting  the  pillows  into  friction-brushes,  and  the 
young  wife's  temper  into  an  irritated  condition. 
She  cooks  their  food  under  rustling  palms,  while  he 
reads  to  her  from  some  interesting  book.  She  ac- 
companies him  in  his  hunting  expeditions,  to  caury 
home  the  game,  which  is  their  principal  subsistence. 
Adam  and  Eve,  when  first  placed  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  were  not  less  solicitous  for  a  support  than  this 
couple  appear  in  their  rustic  home.  The  land  border-, 
ing  on  Sarasota  Bay  contains  some  portions  of  coun- 
try as  uncivilized  as  when  the  savage  glided  across 
its  green  waters,  or  his  voice  rang  through  its  un- 
cultured forests.  The  climate  is  delightful  beyond 
description — the  air  "soft  as  the  memory  of  buried 
love."  Here,  in  appearance,  must  be  located  the  En- 
chanted Isles,  where  cold,  heat,  or  hunger  were  un- 
known, where  roamed  the  white  deer,  which  the  red 
man  worshiped  as  a  god,  that  lived  and  fed  from  the 
delicate  mosses,  silken  as  a  mermaid's  hair,  slender 
and  feathery  as  a  pencil  of  light  when  it  first  reaches 
the  earth  at  the  early  blush  of  morn.  Some  old  fo- 
gies, who  have  lived  here  for  many  years,  express 
opposition  to  new  settlements  being  made,  and  say 
"it  will  spile  their  cattle-range."  Stock-raising  has 
been  the  only  money -making  employment  of  the 


•Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          301 

population  since  they  lived  here.  .They  are  not  in- 
formed with  regard  to  other  branches  of  industry, 
or  their  successful  prosecution.  Broad  acres,  with 
pastures  green,  on  which  range  the  wild  herds,  have 
been  the  standard  of  their  wealth  heretofore.  Per- 
sons wishing  to  settle  in  a  country  always  inquire 
about  its  healthfulness.  There  exists  no  malaria,  or 
disease  of  any  kind.  The  settlers  live  mostly  on  the 
bay,  where,  from  constant  evaporation,  the  waters 
are  more  briny  than  the  Atlantic.  The  land  is  in- 
terspersed with  rich  hummock,  underlying  which  is 
a  stratum  of  marl.  A  great  variety  of  wild  fruits 
are  found  in  the  woods,  the  principal  kinds  being 
the  fox-grape,  octagonal  cactus  that  produces  a  de- 
licious fruit,  tamarinds,  sugar-apples,  poporea,  and 
sea-grape — all  indigenous.  The  Lima  bean  bears 
during  the  entire  year.  The  pine-apple  culture  has 
proved  a  success.  The  Palma  Christi  and  bird-pep- 
per grow  into  perennial  plants,  living  and  produc- 
ing many  years.  The  change  of  seasons  in  South 
Florida  is  imperceptible,  while  in  more  Northern 
climes  autumn,  with  stately  tread  and  Tyrian-dyed 
train,  assumes  her  sway,  bearing  fruits  of  scarlet  and 
gold,  that  are  gathered  in  haste,  for  fear  the  rude 
blasts  will  freeze  out  their  luscious,  juicy  qualities; 
but  here  there  is  no  suspense  of  vegetation.  Many 
times  during  the  winter  months  a  soft  haze,  accom- 
panied by  a  more  tender  and  less  glaring  light,  over- 
spreads the  land  and  sea,  when  the  sun  shines  as  it 
shines  in  the  Northern  Indian  summer.  It  is  during 
these  halcyon  days,  when  nature  appears  transfig- 
ured for  a  time  into  an  abode  fit  for  angels,  that  we 


302          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

love  to  sit  and  muse  upon  this  lovely  scene,  with 
feelings  too  sacred  for  confidants,  too  pure  for  earth. 
Many  tourists,  in  traveling,  expect  all  their  schemes 
to  roll  on  electric  wheels,  without  rocks  or  ruts  in 
the  roads,  or  any  hilly  eminences  to  impede  them ; 
but  we  must  all  remember  that  patience  is  a  plant 
which  flourishes  in  a  pure  atmosphere,  with  its  petals 
fanned  by  the  breath  of  heaven,  while  its  roots  are 
nourished  by  the  great  moral  principles  that  radiate 
from  a  pure  heart.  As  the  motive-power  that  takes 
vistors  through  and  about  this  country  bears  no  re- 
semblance to  a  "lightning  express,"  many  exclama- 
tions are  made  by  those  who  have  to  endure  these 
irregularities  incident  to  a  new  country  that  would 
read  badly  in  print. 

Oft'  the  shore  of  Sarasota  Bay  fishing-smacks  are 
engaged  at  all  seasons  in  obtaining  supplies  for  the 
Havana  market.  These  little  vessels  contain  a  well 
where  the  water  can  be  changed,  and  the  fish  kept 
alive  until  sold.  The  most  delicious  fish  of  all  found 
in  these  waters  is  the  pompano,  which  resembles  the 
California  salmon,  both  in  color  and  flavor.  It  is 
only  taken  at  night  by  striking  with  a  harpoon.  In 
some  portions  of  the  bay  the  finest  oysters  grow  that 
are  found  on  any  coast. 

Mangrove-thickets  also  abound,  which  in  some 
places  form  an  almost  impassable  barrier  to  naviga- 
tion. This  tree  resembles  the  banyan  of  India,  in 
throwing  out  stolons,  besides  the  leaf-bearing  limbs, 
that  incline  downward,  thus  taking  root,  and  pro- 
ducing other  plants,  which  grow  into  trees.  They 
are  only  natives  of  a  tropical  shore,  where  they  root 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes.          303 

in  the  mud  and  form  a  dense  thicket  to  the  verge 
of  the  ocean.  Oyster-shells  and  sea-urchins  attach 
themselves,  hanging  in  clusters,  which  form  an  un- 
approachable defense. 

New  settlers  are  frequently  found  here,  living  in 
palmetto-houses.  Think  of  a  family  composed  of 
ten  persons  staying  in  a  house  made  of  leaves,  with 
a  finely  surf-beaten  shell-floor,  the  whole  structure 
nearly  fifty  feet  long,  twelve  feet  high,  divided  into 
rooms  by  pieces  of  sail-cloth,  the  roof  impervious 
to  water,  and  no  rude  winds  to  blow  on  them.  We 
have  wandered  far  to  find  the  home  of  content- 
ment, and  here  it  dwells.  How  heartily  they  all 
eat  fish,  clams,  and  oysters!  How  soundly  they 
sleep  on  their  mossy  beds !  How  happy  the}7  appear, 
building  boats  or  cultivating  their  lands!  How 
merry  they  whistle  when  starting  out  to  fish,  or 
strike  in  their  little  canoes!  They  look  exceedingly 
picturesque  gliding  about  with  their  torches  in  the 
bow  of  the  boat,  resembling  ignes-fatui  more  than 
tangible  substance.  When  they  approach  the  shore 
the  hogs,  dogs,  and  cats  all  run  to  meet  them,  know- 
ing their  supplies  are  coming.  Hogs  are  fattened 
on  fish,  and  penned  a  month  before  killing,  when 
they  are  given  other  food  to  prevent  the  meat  hav- 
ing a  fishy  flavor.  Here  conchologists,  and  persons 
fond  of  shell-hunting,  can  be  gratified.  After  you 
pass  the  keys  which  abound  in  this  bay,  you  come 
to  a  wide  beach  of  snowy  whiteness,  formed  from  the 
debris  of  shells  and  coral,  worn  by  the  waves  which 
open  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  There  is  no  place  in 
Florida  which  has  such  a  variety  of  rare  and  beau- 


304          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

tiful  shells.  Here  are  also  numerous  layers  of 
rock,  extending  into  the  water,  very  nearly  resem- 
bling the  St.  Augustine  coquina,  which  is  used  in 
building  chimneys,  also  house-foundations. 

All  visitors  that  come  to  Florida,  who  are  not  con- 
firmed invalids,  have  their  hobby,  or  favorite  amuse- 
ment, with  which  they  propose  to  be  entertained 
during  their  stay.  Some  love  to  fish,  and  require 
choice  morsels  to  tempt  their  prey.  Xo  rivulet, 
however  remote,  if  a  minnow  moves  in  its  sluggish 
waters,  is  proof  against  their  explorations.  The 
crabs  are  pulled  out  with  a  celerity  that  astonishes 
their  crustaceous  lordships.  The  sea-fiddlers  cannot 
come  from  their  holes  for  a  quiet  dance  on  the 
beach  without  being  jerked  up  to  a  tune  they  never 
heard  before.  These  are  all  used  for  bait,  which 
delights  the  silly  fish  very  much,  until  he  finds  him- 
self a  captive  in  an  element  which  relieves  him  of 
vitality.  Others  are  fond  of  capturing  alligators, 
and  many  an  unfortunate  animal  is  found  lying  on 
his  back,  with  his  teeth  drawn  out,  his  head  cut  off, 
and  skin  missing.  The  deer-hunter  is  in  for  his 
share  of  amusement:  he  loves  to  camp  at  night, 
and,  when  he  can  "  shine  the  eyes  "  of  the  unsuspect- 
ing animal,  send  a  bullet  with  unfailing  certainty 
through  his  head. 

The  most  indefatigable,  persistent,  unrelenting, 
and  unyielding,  to  any  obstacle,  is  the  naturalist. 
K"o  mire  or  mud,  filled  with  shapes  however  mon- 
strous or  ugly,  is  proof  against  his  encroachments. 
The  eagle  in  her  eyrie,  with  a  nest  built  on  the  tall- 
est pines,  is  reached  with  ropes,  the  young  eaglets 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          305 

captured,  to  be  cut  in  pieces,  their  wings  measured 
from  tip  to  tip,  feathers  counted,  and  bodies  em- 
balmed. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snake  have  no  privileges, 
except  in  their  dens,  but  that  of  being  gobbled  up 
in  a  very  unceremonious  manner,  their  striped  hides 
taken  off  and  stuffed,  then  carried  to  the  Smith- 
sonian, or  some  other  museum  of  less  celebrity. 
The  ugliest  and  most  repulsive-looking  worms  have 
no  chance  to  measure  their  length  outside  their  dark 
places  of  repose  with  the  prospect  of  ever  returning. 
No  butterfly,  if  discovered,  is  permitted  to  pass 
through  its  transitions  in  freedom,  for  oftentimes, 
before  its  wings  are  spread  to  the  breeze,  it  becomes 
a  helpless,  hopeless  prisoner,  where  in  its  captivity 
it  can  metamorphose  much  as  it  pleases,  and  then 
yield  its  life  a  sacrifice  to  science.  The  bugs,  with 
their  various  shapes  and  sizes,  cannot  try  the 
strength  of  their  wings,  or  compare  their  green, 
velvety  jackets,  with  their  more  plainly- dressed 
neighbors,  without  being  seized  like  culprits,  and 
pinned  to  pasteboard. 

Sailing  and  stopping,  how  care  is  lightened  of  its 
burden  in  the  life  we  are  now  pursuing!  There  is 
nothing  expected  of  us,  but  we  are  anticipating  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure  from  the  trip.  We  are  now 
landing  at  Egmont  Key,  which  is  an  insular  domain 
— a  kingdom  bounded  by  deep  waters — a  residence 
among  turtles  and  birds  of  varied  notes.  This  isl- 
and is  five  miles  in  circumference,  and  seven  from 
the  mainland,  commanding  the  entrance  to  Tampa 
Bay.  Latitude  —  north,  27°  36';  longitude  —  west 
from  Greenwich,  82°  45'.  A  light-house  was  erected 
14 


306          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

upon  this  island  in  1848.  It  is  built  of  brick,  and 
is  eighty-six  feet  above  sea-level — lens  of  the  fourth 
order — the  light  beiii£  a  fixture,  visible  twelve  miles. 

o  o 

The  high  tower  looks  as  though  it  was  trying  to 
reach  the  sky,  which  overhangs  its  solitary  turret. 
In  this  retired  spot  the  ocean-birds  resort  to  build 
their  nests,  or  rest  their  pinions  for  longer  flights; 
and  the  turtle  comes  to  deposit  her  eggs,  to  be  fos- 
tered by  sunbeams,  and  afterward  caressed  in  eme- 
rald waves,  when  their  maternal  shells  are  broken. 
Here  the  most  frequent  sounds  are  from  sighing 
•waves  and  heavy  seas;  but,  when  the  weather  is 
calm,  feathered  songsters  of  varied  notes  come 
from  their  coverts  of  safety  to  sing  songs  of  joy. 

Naturalists  from  every  State  visit  this  point — 
among  the  number  the  late  lamented  Professor 
Agassiz  ranked  as  the  most  distinguished.  Among 
the  many  marines  with  whose  habits  we  have  be- 
come conversant,  the  hermit-crab,  also  called  the 
soldier-crab,  appears  the  most  peculiar.  At  low 
tide  we  saw  a  large  mollusk-shell  traveling  toward 
the  shore,  and  wondered  why  such  unaccustomed 
speed  in  its  movements.  We  soon  discovered  crab- 
claws  projecting  from  its  shell,  and  recognized  it  as 
a  hermit-crab,  an  original  freebooter.  How  strange- 
ly he  looked,  with  his  confiscated  house  on  his  back, 
moving  about  like  a  sailor  in  his  boat,  using  his 
claws  for  oars!  When  the  shell  he  is  occupying 
gets  too  small  for  him,  like  a  land -liver  he  goes 
house-hunting.  If  he  finds  one  tenanted  which 
will  answer  his  purpose,  he  pulls  out  the  occupant 
with  as  little  ceremony  as  a  fellow-man  kicks  his 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          307 

drunken  brother  into  the  street.  He  then  darts 
into  the  shell  with  great  speed,  leaving  his  compan- 
ion, bruised  and  homeless,  to  die  at  his  leisure,  or 
secure  another,  if  he  is  able. 

In  this  favored  spot  the  eagle  teaches  her  eaglets 
to  face  the  sun  and  soar  from  sight,  while  the  sea- 
gulls flap  their  wings  in  silence,  the  cormorant 
gorges  himself  to  gluttony,  and  the  pelican  takes  on 
her  cargo  of  fish,  which  she  carries  to  a  platform 


raised  in  front  of  her  nest,  that  the  fledglings  may 
draw  their  rations  without  leaving  their  downy  beds, 
where  they  remain  until  they  are  grown. 

Rare  sea-shells  are  found  on  this  beach,  and  rarer 
birds;  but  the  rarest  of  all  that  is  seen  on  this  isl- 
and is  the  light-house-keeper,  Captain  Coons,  who 
is  a  Spiritualist,  a  curiosity,  a  mixture  of  singulari- 
ties combined,  an  enigma  of  the  human  species. 
His  presence  reminds  one  of  a  moving  panorama, 


308          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

or  kaleidoscope,  with  a  great  variety  of  coloring  and 
adaptations,  always  changing,  and  designed  to  please 
the  crowd  before  which  it  is  placed.  lie  has  much 
versatility  of  talent  —  can  scrape  almost  any  old- 
fashioned  tune  out  of  catgut,  hlow  plaintive  notes 
from  a  flute,  and  draw  "  Yankee  Doodle  "  from  that 
unclassic  instrument  upon  which  we  never  read  of 
David  the  son  of  Jesse  having  performed — an  ac- 
cordion. Spirits  of  persons  that  have  heen  drowned 
in  the  vast  deep  are  said  to  visit  this  island  more 
than  others:  perhaps  the  proximity  favors  their 
coming;  and  sailors,  never  remarkable  for  their 
piety,  while  wandering  in  darkness,  and  weary  of 
the  gnashing  teeth  in  their  unhappy  abodes,  if  they 
do  come,  it  is  only  seeking  rest. 

This  point  is  the  best  for  spiritual  circles  that 
could  be  imagined — no  affinities  that  are  inharmo- 
nious to  come  in,  and  prevent  those  mystic  rappers 
which  have  been  promising  to  benefit  the  world  so 
wonderfully  for  more  than  twenty  years,  but  never, 
as  yet,  developed  any  important  truths. 

The  united  family  live  here.  The  spirits  have 
revealed  to  the  husband  that  in  another  world 
"they  will  be  married,  as  in  this."  He  says  "he 
never  wants  another  wife  but  the  one  he  has  got." 
His  well-chosen  consort  has  lost  nearly  all  her  teeth, 
and  the  spirits  which  she  has  interviewed  on  the 
subject  of  dentistry  have  promised  her  a  "  new  set  " 
when  she  commences  her  spiritual  life.  If  all  the 
toothless  people  in  the  world  were  to  wait  for  a  new 
supply  of  grinders  until  they  arrived  in  another 
world,  the  dentists  would  soon  starve  out  in  this. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          309 

No  part  of  the  world  furnishes  a  greater  variety 
of  the  finny  tribe  than  this  coast,  and  fisheries  are 
being  established  in  the  vicinity.  Sharks,  sixteen 
or  eighteen  feet  in  length,  make  their  appearance 
in  company  with  devil-fish  of  enormous  size.  Jew- 
fish,  weighing  three  or  four  hundred  pounds,  to- 
gether with  tarpons  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  or 
two  hundred  pounds,  are  quite  common.  Schools  of 
mullet  swarm  in  these  waters,  constituting  an  arti- 
cle of  commerce.  Green  and  loggerhead  turtle  are 
taken,  and  form  a  lucrative  traffic. 

An  old  Spanish  sailor  on  duty  tells  us  he  can  re- 
member when  the  buccaneers  landed  on  this  island 
with  their  stolen  goods  and  secreted  them.  This 
class  of  people  were  descended  from  the  French, 
and  subsisted  upon  a  kind  of  smoked  meat  called 
boucan,  from  which  they  derived  their  name. 

These  buccaneers  assumed  martial  names,  known 
only  among  themselves.  Their  clothing  was  of  a 
most  repulsive  character,  consisting  of  a.  filthy  shirt, 
colored  with  the  blood  of  animals  they  had  killed, 
belted  with  a  leather-thong  over  trousers  to  match, 
while  hung  to  their  belts  were  Dutch  knives  and  a 
saber;  a  brimless  hat  and  hog-skin  shoes  completed 
their  toilet.  They  never  attacked  vessels  on  their 
way  to  America,  but  on  their  return,  grappling  the 
largest  and  firing  into  their  port-holes  with  such  ac- 
curacy the  gunners  were  unable  to  return  the  fire. 
They  cherished  a  great  antipathy  to  the  Spaniards, 
because  they  had  captured  the  portion  of  country 
from  them  that  they  claimed.  They  were  a  ter- 
ror to  all  commercial  enterprises  in  the  Spanish 


310         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Colonies,  also  crippling  the  agricultural  pros- 
pects. Jean  Lah'tte,  their  leader,  died  at  Appa- 
lachicola,  where  his  body  lay  in  state  several  days, 
when  it  was  visited  by  many  people  from  long  dis- 
tances. 

The  breeze  is  now  freshening  a  little:  raise  the 

*_• 

foresail,  mainsail,  and  jib,  when  we  are  moving  at 
the  rapid  rate  of  a  mile  in  two  hours.  Even  in  mid- 
winter, at  noonday,  the  merry  sunshine  comes  beam- 
ing down  in  this  latitude  with  intense  fervor.  Finally 
a  dead  calm  ensues,  and  we  are  prisoners  on  the  high 
seas.  The  zephyrs  are  nooning  in  their  sylvan  bow- 
ers, while  the  heat  has  to  be  endured  peaceably  as  pos- 
sible— like  all  other  things,  it  terminates.  The  great 
orb  of  day  has  performed  his  duty  well — resembling 
a  successful  conqueror,  he  descends  triumphantly,  in 
his  chariot  of  fire,  beneath  the  briny  waves — a  golden 
train  of  glory  is  left  behind  him,  while  the  charming 
blue  sky  and  sunset  are  mirrored  upon  the  sea,  each 
alternate  wave  being  a  reflection  from  the  sun- 
beams. Poets  may  sing,  "Beautiful  isles  of  the 
sea,"  but  before  they  had  spent  much  time  in  this 
desolate  spot,  it  would  be,  "Lonely  isles  of  the  sea, 
when  shall  I  be  where  the  face  of  human  beings 
will  gladden  my  heart,  and  the  smiles  of  friendship 
beam  upon  my  pathway  again?" 

We  are  hopeful  yet,  as  Boca  Grande  is  reached 
—  the  entrance  to  Charlotte  Harbor  —  then  Point 
Blanco,  afterward  Point  Kautivo,  where  a  poor 
preacher  was  captured  and  murdered  for  money. 
Now  we  are  sailing  through  seas  once  the  hiding- 
place  of  pirates,  where  much  gold  is  said  to  be 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         311 

buried  which  was  captured  from  a  frigate  on  her 
passage  to  France. 

One  of  these  numerous  islands  is  now  the  resi- 
dence of  a  professional  privateer  in  by-gone  days, 
but  who  has  since  returned  to  private  life,  pursuing 
a  civilized  vocation.  On  another  island  in  the  vicin- 
ity lived  Felippe,  a  Spaniard,  with  his  three  Indian 
wives.  After  the  close  of  the  last  Seminole  war, 
when  orders  were  issued  by  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment for  the  savages  to  leave  Florida,  his  wives, 
belonging  to  the  tribe,  were  included  in  the  edict. 
The  Federal  officers  induced  Felippe  to  leave  home, 
that  they  might  rob  him  of  his  concubines  and  four- 
teen children.  After  his  departure  all  were  more 
easily  persuaded  than  Polly,  his  last  love,  whom 
he  had  seduced  from  an  Indian  guide.  However, 
after  much  persuasion,  she  was  reconciled  by  a 
purse  being  made  up  for  her  benefit.  When  Fe- 
lippe returned  he  was  perfectly  inconsolable  for 
the  loss  of  his  wives  and  children,  and,  on  being 
informed  Polly  was  prevailed  upon  to  go  by  giv- 
ing her  money,  he  replied,  "O  Polly  go  to  hell  for 
money ! " 

Punta  Rassa,  our  landing-place  now,  is  situated 
over  one  hundred  miles  from  Key  West,  and 
twenty-two  miles  from  Fort  My  res,  opposite  Syn- 
abel  Island.  The  waters  of  the  gulf  here,  being 
confined  in  a  small  compass,  rush  with  fearful 
rapidity  during  a  gale.  The  Federal  Post  was 
destroyed  in  1844.  From  this  point  also  were 
collected  and  shipped,  during  the  Florida  war, 
many  of  the  wives  and  children  of  the  Seminoles. 


312          Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

Here  the  land  part  of  the  International  Telegraph 
Line  terminates  —  the  wire  leaping  from  mid -air 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  remain  in  old  Nep- 
tune's bed,  undisturbed  by  winds  or  waves,  and 
only  agitated  by  the  most  important  events  taking 
place  in  the  world.  There  is  but  one  house  here 
of  any  size,  built  by  the  Government  during  the 
late  war  for  commissary  stores,  and  now  occupied 
by  the  telegraph  company.  The  musquitoes  are  so 
thick  the  clerks  have  an  operating-room,  partitioned 
oft' in  the  center  of  the  building  with  thin  domestic, 
containing  their  apparatus.  These  insects  being  of 
such  gigantic  proportions,  and  making  such  vigor- 
ous moves,  netting  would  offer  no  obstruction  to 
their  blood-thirsty  operations.  They  can  jump 
through  an  ordinary  net  as  easily  as  a  frog  breaks 
a  spider-web.  Here  is  a  signal-station,  the  agent 
stopping  in  a  tent.  All  that  induces  any  of  the 
operators  to  remain  is  the  high  wages  they  receive, 
which  compensates  them  in  a  manner  for  the  de- 
privations they  suffer  in  the  loss  of  society. 

From  this  point  large  quantities  of  cattle  are 
annually  shipped  to  Cuba,  the  facilities  for  loading 
being  superior  to  any  on  the  coast. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          313 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  sun  now  rose  upon  the  right — 

Out  of  the  sea  came  he, 
Still  hid  in  mist,  and  on  the  left 

Went  down  into  the  sea. 

have  been  sailing  near  land  since  we  left 
Tampa  Bay,  but  now  we  are  in  water 
sixty  fathoms  deep,  and  past  wading  or 
swimming  out,  let  what  will  happen  to  us. 
"We  leave  Ten  Thousand  Islands  and  Cape 
Roman  without  landing,  as  they  are  uninhabited, 
and  so  lonely  it  seems  God  alone  visits  them.  A 
night  on  the  water  alone  with  God  and  the  stars, 
who  can  describe  it?  The  sun  has  left  his  sentinel, 
Venus,  soon  to  descend,  with  her  evening  charms, 
after  delighting  her  admirers  only  a  short  while. 
The  atmosphere  at  sea  being  so  pure,  this  planet 
looks  as  though  it  had  silver  steps  leading  to  its 
portals,  upon  which  fancy  might  climb  without 
wings,  or  the  Muses  catch  inspiration  without  effort. 
What  a  grand  sight  to  watch  those  far-off  worlds,  as 
they  silently  rise  before  our  unobstructed  vision, 
gemming  the  canopy  of  heaven  with  their  grand 
glories  for  a  few  hours,  and  then  retiring,  while 
others  take  their  places  to  dispel  the  darkness  with 
their  continuous  rays! 

We  read  of  golden  waves,  and  silver  waves,  but 


314          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

phosphorescent  waves  exceed  all.  When  the  salt- 
waters  of  the  Gulf  are  much  agitated,  and  the  vessel 
plows  the  "breaking  foam,"  it  appears  surrounded 
with  a  sea  of  most  brilliantly-lighted  waves,  extend- 
ing far  as  the  agitation  reaches.  The  lead  and  line, 
when  dropped  in  the  water,  is  followed  by  a  flash 
resembling  electricity  from  the  clouds.  The  lumi- 
nous particles  which  compose  this  light  are  found 
floating  in  the  water  when.it  is  dipped  up  in  buck- 
ets, and  adheres  to  the  sides  of  any  vessel  in  which 
the  water  is  placed.  It  is  produced  from  a  species 
of  animalcule  called  ardhusa  plegica,  and  when  col- 
lected in  large  masses  resembles  flashes  from  an 
electric  body,  or  balls  of  fire.  Sailors  regard  the 

*/  *  o 

passing  of  these  lights  under  the  hull  as  ominous  of 
adverse  winds,  and  danger  of  being  swamped  from 
heavy  seas.  We  are  nearing  Sand  Key  Light,  seven 
miles  from  Key  West,  and  sixty  from  Cape  Sable. 
From  Punta  Rassa  to  this  place  nothing  breaks  the 
monotony  of  our  movements  but  the  sea-monsters 
darting  under  and  around  our  vessel — sometimes  a 
whale,  spouting  water;  a  dolphin,  playing  hide  and 
seek  with  his  companions — all  enjoying  the  freedom 
of  their  native  element  near  the  surface,  as  though 
the  great  luminary  and  smooth  waters  had  charms 
for  these  voiceless  denizens  of  the  deep  as  well  as 
ourselves. 

Here  we  see  the  Southern  Cross  just  above  the 
horizon,  although  many  suppose  it  visible  only  south 
of  the  equator.  The  principal  stars  composing  it 
are  very  bright  and  unmistakable  as  the  constella- 
tion of  Ursa  Major.  The  coral  formations  in  these 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Clinics.          315 

waters  arc  what  make  sailing  dangerous  ami  ship- 
wrecks frequent.  Many  a  vessel  in  sight  of  port, 
with  golden  prospects  before  thorn  when  they  should 
anchor  in  the  harbor,  and  reap  a  rich  reward  for 
their  toil,  has  sunk  or  stranded  here,  and  then  been 
robbed  by  men  unsympathizing  as  Hottentots.  The 
early  records  of  Key  West  say  that  it  was  inhabited 
by  a  different  tribe  of  Indians  from  those  on  the 
mainland,  in  evidence  of  which  human  bones  of  a 
larger  size  than  those  belonging  to  the  present  race 
of  red  men  have  been  discovered  here  in  ancient 
fortifications  and  mounds.  The  Indians  living  on 
these  islands  and  along  the  coast  visited  the  main- 
land for  the  purpose  of  hunting,  when  a  dispute 
arose  between  them,  which  resulted  in  war.  The 
Indians  on  the  mainland,  being  the  most  numer- 
ous, pursued  those  from  the  islands,  until  they  were 
obliged  to  take  refuge  on  Key  West.  Here  they 
were  compelled  to  make  a  stand,  where  they  had  a 
battle  which  nearly  exterminated  them — a  few  only 
escaping  to  Cuba  in  boats,  and  it  is  said  were  seen 
there  during  the  earl}7  settlement  of  the  island.  As 
the  conquerors  did  not  remain  to  bury  their  enemies, 
the  ground  was  strewn  with  bones;  hence  the  Span- 
ish name  Cayo  Htieso,  rendered  by  the  Americans 
Key  West.  It  is  called  the  "  Gem  of  the  Sea,"  and 
distant  from  Cuba  ninety-seven  miles — latitude,  24° 
32'  north. 

The  lands  are  of  coral  formation,  consequently 
very  sterile,  although  presenting  a  verdant  appear- 
ance, caused  by  artificial  fertilizers.  Tropical  fruits 
grow  the  entire  year  without  interruption.  Here 


316          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

we  find  the  sugar-apple,  alligator-pear,  sapodilla- 
guava,  limes,  lemons,  tamarinds,  bananas,  and  plant- 
ain— the  cocoa-nut  tree,  with  her  tessellated  leaves, 
fanned  by  the  breath  of  eternal  spring-time,  and 
ripening  its  refreshing  fruits  to  nourish  the  thirsty 
residents,  who  would  languish  were  they  not  sup- 
plied with  the  juices  from  fruits.  The  cocoa  sheds 
its  fruit  when  ripe,  endangering  the  heads  of  those 
passing.  Parents  having  children  who  play  under 
the  trees  are  constantly  uneasy,  as  a  full-grown  co- 
coa-nut, falling  forty  feet,  would  nearly  annihilate  a 
child.  They  are  gathered  by  means  of  long  poles, 
attached  to  the  end  of  which  is  an  iron  hook — some- 
times with  ladders  and  ropes. 

To  a  person  who  has  never  visited  this  island  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  imagine  that  only  sixty-five 
miles  from  the  mainland  of  Florida  is  a  city  so 
nearly  in  appearance  resembling  the  Spanish  domin- 
ions of  the  Old  World — where  hardly  a  sentence  of 
English  is  heard,  business  transactions  conducted 
in  a  foreign  language,  produce  bought  and  sold, 
together  with  fruits  from  the  adjacent  islands  cried 
in  Spanish  by  the  auctioneers.  The  wharf  is  a  busy 
place.  Here  are  'vessels  from  various  ports,  with 
the  ensigns  of  different  nationalities  —  schooners, 
ships,  and  steamers,  carrying  from  ten  tons  to  many 
thousand,  loaded  principally  with  provisions  and 
lumber. 

The  chief  of  the  Seminoles  is  among  the  traders, 
from  his  Everglade  home,  inhabited  by  the  deer, 
which  leaves  its  "delicate  foot-prints"  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  streams,  or  the  "  slo\v-paced  bear,"  which 


Petals  Plucked  from  Siuwy  Climes.          317 

drinks  and  then  leaps  across  the  lagoons  in  search 
of  prey,  or  to  be  captured  by  his  savage  enemies. 
Tiger  Tail  has  come  to  market  with  sweet  potatoes, 
pumpkins,  cabbages,  venison,  honey,  and  buckskins. 
The  honey  is  in  one  of  nature's  own  receptacles — a 
deer  skin,  taken  from  the  animal  whole,  one  of  the 
fore-legs  being  used  as  a  mouth  for  this  natural  bot- 
tle, containing  the  captured  sweets.  He  does  not 
cultivate  the  soil  in  person.  His  wives,  together 
with  his  two  negro  women,  who  have  never  heard 

O  ' 

of  the  "Emancipation  Act,"  raise  the  vegetables, 
while  he  and  his  warriors  engage  in  combat  with 
the  untamed  beasts  that  roam  in  their  native  wilds, 
or  wage  destruction  upon  the  finny  inhabitants  of 
the  dark,  sluggish  waters. 

The  population  of  Key  West  numbers  seven  or 
eight  thousand.  The  streets  indicate  a  populous 
place  —  the  number  of  inhabitants  having  been 
greatly  increased  since  the  insurrectionary  move- 
ments in  Cuba.  Cleanliness  is  a  prevailing  char- 
acteristic of  the  streets,  there  being  no  deposits  of 
debris  permitted.  As  there  are  few  vehicles,  and  no 
sidewalks,  pedestrians  use  the  center  of  the  street 
for  promenading.  The  ladies  do  not  wear  covering 
for  their  heads,  except  a  few,  who  use  thin  black 
lace  veils:  all  wear  their  dresses  trailing  a  long  dis- 
tance behind  them,  presenting  a  most  dolcefar  niente 
appearance  walking  about  in  the  golden  sunlight, 
fearless  of  its  burning  rays  as  the  eagle  which  gazes 
upon  its  dazzling  splendors.  Many  new  houses  are 
in  process  of  erection  upon  the  island,  and  the 
march  of  improvement  is  making  rapid  strides 


318          Petals  Flacked  from  SLLIIYUJ  Climes. 

among  the  vacant  lots.  The  architectural  style  of 
these  buildings  is  adapted  only  to  the  necessities  of 
a,  tropical  clime — a  shelter  from  the  heat  and  rain. 
They  have  no  chimneys,  consequently  no  bright, 
cheerful  firesides,  with  their  fanciful  shapes  described 
in  the  curling  smoke,  leaping  flames,  or  expiring 
coals,  about  which  poets  love  to  write  and  dream. 
Conchs  were  the  original  English  settlers  of  this 
place,  who  came  here  from  New  Providence  and 
the  adjacent  islands  of  the  Bahama  group.  "  Conch  " 
is  not,  as  many  suppose,  a  term  of  contempt,  but  a 
local  distinction.  When  the  first  regiment  of  colo- 
nial militia  was  organized  at  Nassau,  they  adopted 
the  figure  of  a  coach-shell  in  gold,  with  a  blue  field, 
for  their  regimental  colors,  thereby  declaring  the 
protection  of  their  natural  position;  from  this  the 
term  is  applied  more  particularly  to  those  from  that 
wty.  They  are  a  temperate,  frugal,  industrious 
class  of  persons,  accustomed  for  generations  to  pro- 
curing a  living  from  the  sea;  but  many  of  them  on 
this  island  have  turned  their  talents  in  other  direc- 
tions, controlling  a  large  part  of  the  commercial 
business  of  the  place.  The  greater  portion  of  them 
are  engaged  in  wrecking,  sponging,  or  fishing  for 
the  Havana  market,  many  owning  fine  vessels,  and 
being  men  of  respectability,  although  belonging  to 
those  classes  whose  names,  to  one  not  acquainted 
with  them,  appear  an  equivalent  to  buccaneers  or 
pirates. 

Wrecking  was  conducted  for  many  years  at  Key 
"West  in  a  most  ungenerous  manner,  with  the  old 
adage,  "Freight  is  the  mother  of  wages."  Whole- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          319 

some  laws  have  since  been  enacted  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  unfortunate  owners  who  are  stranded; 
also  for  compensation  of  wreckers  who  come  to  the 
rescue.  Many  of  these  accidents  occurred  from 
preconcerted  action  between  the  sailing-master  and 
the  wreckers,  or  carelessness  in  crossing  the  reefs, 
together  with  the  changing  currents.  Now,  a  for- 
feiture of  license  for  frauds  in  accounting  for  goods, 
embezzling,  or  bad  sailing,  has  produced  a  stringency 
which  precludes  dishonesty. 

The  United  States  District  Court  for  the  Southern 
District  of  Florida  holds  its  sessions  here,  and  is 
constantly  open  for  the  adjudication  of  cases  in 
Admiralty.  Scarcely  a  week  passes  but  its  serv- 
ices are  called  for  in  deciding  the  claims  of  some 
salvor  against  property  which  has  been  rescued  from 
peril.  Over  seven  hundred  cases  in  Admiralty  have 
been  heard  and  decided  within  the  last  year.  Judge 
Locke,  who  wears  the  ermine  gracefully,  is  the  pre- 
siding official  in  these  courts,  dealing  out  justice 
according  to  the  judicial  requirements  of  the  appli- 
cants. 

The  International  Telegraph  has  its  principal 
head-quarters  at  this  point.  Among  the  many  facil- 
ities for  the  union  of  interests,  and  the  transmission 
of  news,  this  route  is  considered  the  most  impor- 
tant. The  survey  was  commenced  from  Jackson- 
ville to  Miami,  from  Miami  to  Key  West,  inside  of 
the  reef;  afterward  from  Gainesville  to  Cape  Roman 
found  the  route  to  Punta  Rassa  the  best,  following: 

7  O 

far  as  known  the  Washington  meridian.  The  cable 
from  Havana  to  Punta  Rassa  via  Kev  West  was 


320          Petals  Plucked  from  Sanmj  Climes. 

laid  in  August  and  September,  1867.  In  1869  a 
second  was  laid.  During  May,  1871,  one  of  the 
working  cables  failed  between  Key  West  and  Ha- 
vana. In  attempting  to  pick  up  the  end  in  five 
hundred  fathoms  of  water,  they  caught  the  working 
cable  and  broke  it,  after  which  the  International 
Company  had  a  dispatch-steamer  running  regularly, 
carrying  messages  to  and  from  Havana.  Several 
efforts  have  been  made  to  pick  up  and  repair  the 
broken  cable,  spending  over  $150,000  without  suc- 
cess. A  new  cable  now,  however,  obviates  all  diffi- 
culties. This  connects  the  United  States  with  Cuba, 
running  to  all  the  West  India  Islands.  There  are 
also  other  cables  laid  along  the  south  coast,  by 
which  means  the  United  States  Government  com- 
municates with  its  vessels  of  war  and  consular 
agents  in  the  West  Indies,  also  Spain  and  the  colo- 
nies. The  "Conchs"  heretofore  have  not  been  in- 
terested in  general  education;  but  recently  a  desire 
for  the  knowledge  of  something  besides  reefs,  keys, 
sponges,  and  turtles,  has  rapidly  increased,  while 
general  intelligence  and  "book-learning"  are  now 
considered  as  among  the  essential  requisites.  The 
public-school  sj'stem  has  been  introduced  with  ex- 
cellent results,  and  two  flourishing  schools  are  con- 
tinued for  ten  months  each  year,  where  the  common 
and  higher  English  branches  are  taught,  and  Latin. 
There  are  other  schools  of  lower  grades,  besides 
several  private  schools,  and  the  Sisters  of  Mary  and 
Joseph. 

Cigar -making  is  extensively  carried  on   in  Key 
West,  thus  giving  employment  to  hundreds  of  ex- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          321 

iled  Cubans.  The  establishment  of  Seidenberg  & 
Co.  is  the  largest  in  the  city,  employing  six  hun- 
dred operatives.  Upon  the  first  floor  are  seated 
eighty  females,  engaged  in  stripping  tobacco  from 
the  stems.  Here  mother  and  daughter  work  side 
by  side,  the  daughter  earning  live  dollars  per  week 
on  account  of  her  more  mmble  fingers,  and  the 
mother  three.  The  daughter  puffs  a  delicate  cigar- 
ette, while  the  mother  smokes  a  huge  cigar,  it  being 
considered  a  disgrace  for  the  young  ladies  to  use — 
only  cigarettes.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  men  are 
occupied  in  one  room  upon  the  second  floor,  all 
forming  those  cylindrical  tubes  through  which  is  to 
be  drawn  so  much  enjoyment  in  the  present,  while 
a-  perfect  abandon  of  all  anxiety  for  the  future  is 
felt.  These  operatives  employ  a  reader,  who  reads 
aloud  from  newspapers  printed  in  Spanish,  while 
they  are  working,  for  which  luxury  each  one  bears 
his  proportion  of  the  expense.  When  any  news  fa- 
voring the  cause  of  the  insurgents  is  read,  the  house 
echoes  with  shouting  and  stamping  of  feet.  The 
remaining  laborers  are  employed  in  assorting  and 
packing  the  cigars  for  market.  Only  the  choicest 
tobacco  is  used  in  this  factorv — each  first-class  cio-ar 

«  O 

made  here  being  warranted  equal  to  any  Havana 
brand.  Thirty  -five  thousand  cigars  are  manufac- 
tured daily,  consuming  thirty  thousand  pounds  of 
tobacco  monthly.  The  most  amusing  sight  of  all  is 
to  see  these  workmen  drink  water:  it  is  contained 
in  a  kind  of  earthenware  vessel  which  they  call  a 
"  monkey -jug,"  made  from  a  porous  earth  obtained 
in  Cuba,  and  shaped  something  like  our  American 


322          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

gallon -jug,  only  the  orifice  is  on  the  side.  These 
jngs  are  suspended  by  a  cord  in  some  cool  place, 
where  the  air  circulates  most  freely,  a  slight  perco- 
lation constantly  taking  place  from  the  water  inside. 
When  they  drink,  the  vessel  is  raised  to  an  angle  of 
twelve  degrees  above  their  mouths,  and,  after  set- 
ting their  heads  back  on  their  shoulders,  with  their 
mouths  wide  open,  they  turn  the  water  down  their 
throats,  without  any  perceptible  act  of  deglutition. 
After  they  have  finished  drinking,  they  close  their 
mouths  with  a  peculiar  "umph,"  at  the  same  in- 
stant exclaiming  "Ave  Maria!"  to  indicate  the  act 
is  finished,  and  returning  thanks  to  the  Virgin  for 
the  privilege. 

The  cochineal  insect  is  indigenous  here,  and  is 
found  upon  the  Cactus  opuntia.  In  appearance  it 
resembles  a  tiny  ball  of  cotton  attached  to  the  plant; 
but,  on  being  pressed,  a  scarlet  fluid  exudes,  which 
is  the  life-blood  of  the  insect,  produced  by  the  col- 
ored cactus-fruit  upon  which  it  feeds.  This  furnishes 
the  beautiful  dye  of  commerce,  for  which  it  yields  its 
life. 

Sponging  is  another  important  branch  of  industry 
centering  here — the  entire  coast  being  composed  of 
reefs  and  keys.  The  numerous  sounds  and  inlets 
abound  with  sponges  of  an  excellent  quality,  one 
class  of  which  has  won  an  established  reputation  in 
commerce,  being  known  as  the  "Florida  Sheep's- 
wool."  The  cheaper  qualities  are  the  "Yellow- 
boat,"  "Glove,"  and  "Grass" — the  last  two  being 
the  kinds  used  particularly  by  the  American  Sponge 
Company,  very  extensively,  in  the  manufacture  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          823 

upholstery.  Many  tons  of  these  sponges  are  shipped 
annually  for  that  purpose.  This  product  of  the  sea  is 
found  growing  in  water  from  ten  to  twenty-five  feet 
deep.  It  is  detached  from  the  bottom,  and  brought 
to  the  surface  by  means  of  iron  hooks  fastened  to  long 
poles.  When  first  found  they  are  solid,  and  resem- 
ble a  jelly-fish.  They  are  then  thrown  on  the  deck 
of  the  vessel  until  they  die,  when  they  are  beaten, 
washed  and  wrung  out,  leaving,  as  it  were,  but  the 
skeleton  of  the  original  article — this  constitutes  the 
sponge  of  commerce.  The  amount  realized  from 
the  sale  of  sponges  gathered  and  sold  at  this  place, 
yearly,  exceeds  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which 
costs  nothing  but  the  labor  of  gathering,  cleaning, 
drying,  and  packing.  The  rough  life  these  people 
lead  does  not  make  them  appear  as  though  they  had 
been  fed  on  mountain-dew,  or  nurtured  on  the  wings 
of  love;  however,  they  are  kind-hearted  creatures 
to  their  friends. 

Key  West  being  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, it  is  well  fortified  by  Fort  Taylor,  thus  using 
every  precautionary  measure  for  its  protection. 
Here  stands  this  fort,  with  its  frowning  battlements, 
upon  which  are  mounted  the  most  formidable  artil- 
lery used  in  modern  warfare.  The  construction  of 
this  fortress  was  commenced  in  1845,  and  it  now 
protects  an  important  harbor  and  naval  depot.  It  is 
built  entirely  of  brick,  with  two  tiers  of  casemates, 
and  one  in  barbette.  The  most  exposed  and  \veaker 
parts  of  the  walls  have  been  strengthened  by  mak- 
ing them  twelve  feet  thick — solid  masonry — which 
has  prepared  it  to  resist  any  thing  but  a  continued 


324          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

bombardment.  There  are  now  mounted  for  action 
one  hundred  and  thirty  guns;  three  three-hundred- 

\j     o 

pound  Parrot,  thirty  ten-inch  Rodman,  and  two  fif- 
teen-inch Rodman  guns  have  been  placed  in  position 
on  the  barbette  tier,  in  the  form  of  a  trapezoid,  with 
bastions  at  the  four  angles.  The  remaining  guns 
are  of  smaller  caliber.  The  defenses  have  recently 
been  increased  by  two  land-batteries,  exterior  to  the 
fort,  commanding  the  western  and  northern  ap- 
proaches. One  of  these  batteries  mounts  twelve, 
and  the  other  seventeen,  fifteen-inch  Rodman  guns, 
with  magazine  traverses.  There  are  also  two  towers, 
with  casemated  batteries,  in  which  are  twelve  ten- 
inch  guns,  to  prevent  boats  landing.  All  these 
works  are  under  the  supervision  of  a  most  accom- 
plished engineer — Colonel  Blount,  of  the  United 
States  Navy. 

Key  West  is  also  fortified  with  a  Curiosity  Shop, 
in  the  event  of  an  attack  from  curious  people  in 
search  of  something  to  gratify  their  tastes  in  that 
direction.  The  name  was  adopted  from  Dickens— 
the  difference  being  that  one  existed  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  writer,  and  the  other  is  a  reality.  Here 
we  find  the  fac-simile  of  the  veritable  clock  which 
ticked  the  hours  away,  mentioned  by  Dickens.  In 
appearance,  it  has  size  enough  to  be  a  "bed  by  night 
and  clock  by  day."  Ma}7  it  not  have  the  misfortune 
of  its  namesake  to  time  the  sheriff's  entrance,  and 
keep  tally  to  the  auctioneer's  hammer!  Also  a  pair 
of  andirons,  said  to  have  been  used  by  George 
Washington.  Imagine  him  and  Martha  in  front  of 
these  grotesquely-patterned  fire-supporters,  the  gen- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          325 

eral  just  returned  from  Yorktown,  Virginia,  and 
relating  the  news  of  the  capitulation  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis.  The  sword  of  General  La  Fayette  graces 
the  rubbish  of  this  curious  medley,  instead  of  a 
brave  general's  side;  pistols  a  century  old;  cannon 
of  four-pound  caliber,  which  were  used  anciently  to 
announce  the  Fourth  of  July;  flint-lock  muskets, 
of  Revolutionary  fame;  flags  that  have  floated  over 
victories,  and  surrendered  with  defeat;  silver  coin 
made  in  1799;  gold  coins  of  1803,  together  with 
coins  of  all  nations  and  dates,  from  Julius  Ciesar 
down;  Russian  signal -lanterns;  a  model  of  the 
steamer  Sumter;  a  bird-cage,  Gothic  style,  con- 
taining nearly  five  thousand  pieces;  turbot- skins; 
horned  frogs;  chicken-spurs,  the  property  of  a  war- 
rior never  beaten ;  skeletons  of  sea-horses  and  sea- 
cows;  sharks'  teeth;  books  t\vo  hundred  years  old; 
a  parrot  speaking  Spanish ;  the  devil  in  a  bottle,  be- 
sides a  thousand  other  things  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. When  you  survey  all  you  can  see,  and  don't 
discover  what  you  want,  call  for  the  owner,  John 
Dixon,  who  is  more  of  a  curiosity  than  any  thing 
his  shop  contains.  He  is  a  genuine  Greek,  born  on 
an  island  of  Greece.  Is  it  an  impossibility  that  the 
same  crimson  current  which  courses  through  his 
veins  may  not  have  descended  from  Solon  or  Socra- 
tes? Perhaps  his  ancestors  might  have  been  among 
the  brave  number  who  opposed  Xerxes  in  his  efforts 
to  subjugate  Greece — may  be  a  relative  of  the  cynic 
philosopher,  Diogenes,  whom  he  more  nearly  resem- 
bles in  his  peculiarity  of  independence  and  contempt 
for  common  things  in  general,  or  any  thing  which  is 


326          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

not  extremely  old  or  curious.  He  has  for  a  sign  a 
full-sized  ship's  figure-head  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  on 
which  the  gilding  is  much  defaced,  it  having  been 
washed  ashore  many  years  since  from  the  wreck  of 
a  Spanish  ship. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          327 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Soft  the  shadows  slowly  creeping 

Through  thy  dim  and  spectral  pines; 

Pure  thy  lakelets,  calmly  sleeping, 
Save  a  few  light  rippling  lines, 

When  the  water-lilies  move, 

And  fairies  chant  their  early  love. 


leaving  the  St.  John's  River  and 
traveling  westward,  we  approach  what  is 
called  Middle  Florida,  fanned  by  the  gulf 
breezes,  and  protected  from  the  northern 
blasts  with  heavily-timbered  lands.  The 
first  town  of  importance  through  which  we  pass  is 
Lake  City,  fifty-four  miles  from  Jacksonville,  this 
being  the  county-site  of  Columbia.  This  city  was 
named  from  the  beautiful  sheets  of  water  by  which 
it  is  surrounded,  where  naiads  and  fairies  could 
come  to  dwell,  and  lovers  do  resort  to  whisper. 
These  lakes  are  distinguished  by  the  names  of  De 
Soto,  Isabella,  Hamburg,  and  Indian.  The  waters 
abound  in  fish,  while  alligators  are  daily  seen,  plung- 
ing about  in  them,  as  happy  persons  are  rowing  in 
light  canoes  upon  their  smooth  surfaces.  The  pop- 
ulation numbers  about  two  thousand.  It  has  eight 
churches  of  various  denominations,  a  creditable 
court-house,  and  three  hotels  —  the  Thrasher  House 
being  the  most  agreeable  and  roomy  in  every  re- 


328          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes. 

spect.  A  weekly  paper  is  published  here.  It  is  also 
the  terminus  of  the  submarine  telegraph,  and  con- 
tains an  "old  probability"  office.  The  citizens  are 
refined,  intelligent,  and  friendly  toward  strangers. 

The  architectural  style  of  dwellings  in  Lake  City 
are  more  truly  Southern  summer-residences  than 
any  other  city  in  the  State.  They  are  built  up 
from  the  ground,  with  a  wide  passage  separating 
the  two  apartments — the  floors  being  made  of  pine 
plank,  which  the  combined  efforts  of  woolly  arti- 
sans with  shucks  and  sand  manage  to  keep  invit- 
ingly clean.  This  style  of  structure,  to  an  artistic 
taste  accustomed  to  the  modern  cottages,  dormer- 
windows,  and  pigeon-like  apartments,  covered  with 
slate-roofing,  thus  converting  the  upper  story  into  a 
fiery  furnace  after  a  hot  day,  suggests  a  kind  of  rude- 
ness, characteristic  of  the  locality,  which  is  quite  the 
reverse :  like  the  whispering  gallery,  they  are  made 
to  catch  the  slightest  agitation  in  the  atmosphere,  it 
being  duplicated, 'within  this  long  receptacle,  into  a 
most  grateful  breeze.  However,  here,  as  in  other 
tropical  climes,  it  is  observable  at  noon,  each  day, 
that  the  softest  winds  are  lulled  to  rest,  when  a 
general  stagnation  steals  over  every  thing,  from  the 
house-dog  to  the  tallest  pine,  with  its  green  plumes 
kissing  the  midday  sunbeans ;  but  after  the  day 
commences  to  decline,  a  breeze  springs  up,  which 
enables  us  to  appreciate  its  presence  and  survive 
better  during  its  absence.  The  soil  in  the  vicinity 
is  fertile — thus  enabling  the  inhabitants  to  engage 
largely  in  the  culture  of  early  vegetables  and  straw- 
berries, which  are  shipped  North.  Oranges  weigh- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          329 

ing  a  pound  are  not  uncommon.  Many  invalids 
find  the  atmosphere  of  Middle  Florida  exceedingly 
conducive  to  their  comfort,  as  the  temperature  is 
less  variable  than  many  other  points  in  the  State, 
and  for  this  reason  fine  for  asthmatics,  who  say  they 
can  sleep  all  night  here,  while  in  most  other  places 
day  dawns  with  no  perceptible  transition  into  a  som- 
nambulic  state.  The  strong  scent  of  resin  from  the 
pineries,  after  we  leave  Lake  City,  is  quite  percep- 
tible, it  being  a  fine  lotion  for  weak  lungs.  Mala- 
ria visits  some  portions  of  Middle  Florida,  where, 
anterior  to  the  recent  immigration,  it  was  almost 
unknown.  This  has  been  the  history  of  all  newly- 
settled  countries — the  decomposition  of  much  vege- 
table matter  producing  chills  and  fever. 

West  of  the  Suwanee  is  usually  designated  as 
Middle  Florida,  it  formerly  being  more  densely  pop- 
ulated than  now,  evidence  of  which  is  furnished 
us  from  the  ruins  of  buildings.  For  many  years  a 
jealousy  existed  between  the  settlers  of  East  and 
Middle  Florida,  in  regard  to  their  landed  estates. 
The  commissioners  in  East  Florida  were  more  in- 
terested in  selling  than  settling  the  country  —  the 
lands  in  Middle  Florida  being  considered  superior 
for  agricultural  purposes,  and  the  titles  good,  which 
is  more  than  can  be  said  of  all  the  East  Florida 
lands  even  now. 

Some  have  looked  upon  this  portion  of  the  State 
as  a  kind  of  lottery,  the  value  of  which  would  be 
realized  after  the  drawing  had  occurred,  while  there 
are  those  who  come  to  stay,  and  when  they  find 
the  visionary  ideal  dream  in  which  they  have  in- 
15 


330          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

dulged  is  not  realized  to  its  fullest  extent,  then 
they  are  ready  to  say,  "We  have  been  inveigled 
here."  These  should  remember,  "There  is  no  spot 
which  combines  every  desirable  characteristic,  with 
the  absence  of  all  that  is  undesirable.  It  not  un- 
frequently  occurs  in  life,  when  unhappy  spirits, 
chained  in  diseased  bodies,  which  cause  them  to 
settle  into  a  sullen  melancholy,  whose  presence 
would  discolor  the  face  of  all  nature,  and  tinge 
with  a  sickly  hue  the  flowers  of  paradise,  or  the 
glories  of  the  eternal  throne." 

After  leaving  Lake  City,  the  next  town  of  note 
before  Tallahassee  is  Monticello,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  miles  from  Jacksonville,  situated  at  the 
terminus  of  the  Monticello  Branch  Road,  four  miles 
distant  from  the  main  line.  It  is  the  county-site  of 
Jefferson,  surrounded  by  fertile  farming-lands,  this 
being  the  head-center  of  traffic  for  a  large  extent  of 
country.  A  population  of  not  quite  two  thousand 
inhabitants  reside  here,  with  every  appearance  of 
content.  Good  churches  of  various  creeds  are  well 
attended  when  open  for  service.  The  former  wealth 
of  this  county  cannot  fail  to  impress  visitors  who  hap- 
pen here  on  Saturday,  when  great  numbers  of  freed- 
men,  formerly  owned  in  this  locality,  from  habit 
leave  their  work  and  come  to  town  for  a  holiday. 
They  go  marching  about  the  streets  orderly  as  a 
procession,  or  tile  into  the  stores  until  there  is 
scarcely  standing-room,  getting  on  very  quietly  un- 
til late  in  the  day,  when  some  of  them,  while  under 
the  influence  of  badly-adulterated  whisky,  become 
noisy  and  obstreperous  —  thus  ending  their  day's 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          331 

frolic  in  the  lock-up.  A  good  hotel  is  kept  here, 
where  bountiful  tables,  well  patronized  by  appreci- 
ative guests,  daily  attest  its  merits. 

After  sunset  the  frogs  will  be  found  the  most  de- 
monstrative inhabitants,  at  times,  on  the  route  to 
Tallahassee,  which,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  almost 
drown  the  car-whistle  with  their  croakings — thus 
reminding  us  that  happiness,  with  some  creatures, 
is  not  yet  extinct  in  the  world.  Probably  no  place 


can  furnish  a  greater  variety  of  frogs  belonging  to 
the  same  genera,  among  which  we  find  the  bell- 
frog,  speckled  frog,  green  frog,  some  of  them  being 
nine  inches  in  length,  measuring  from  the  tip  of  the 
nose  to  the  terminus  of  the  hind -foot  toe,  which 
amphibious  quadruped,  when  full  grown,  will  weigh 
over  a  pound.  The  bell-frog  is  supposed  to  have 
been  named  from  the  voice,  wrhich  is  fancied  to  be 
exactly  like  a  loud  cow-bell.  The  following  state- 


332          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

merit  from  a  naturalist  on  frogs  will  give  us  an  idea 
of  his  impressions:  "The  bell-frogs  being  very  nu- 
merous, and  uttering  their  voices  in  companies,  or 
by  large  districts,  when  one  begins  another  an- 
swers— thus  the  sound  is  caught  and  repeated  from 
one  to  another  a  great  distance,  causing  a  surpris- 
ing noise  for  a  few  minutes,  rising  and  sinking  with 
the  winds,  then  nearly  dying  away,  or  is  softly  kept 
up  by  distant  districts — thus  the  noise  is  repeated 
continually,  and  as  one  becomes  familiarized  to  it, 
the  sound  is  not  unmusical,  though  at  first,  to  stran- 
gers, it  seems  clamorous  and  disgusting."  English- 
men sent  them  home,  more  than  a  century  since,  as 
Florida  curiosities.  The  following  is  taken  from 
the  record  of  one's  arrival :  "  The  pretty  frog  came 
safe  and  well,  being  now  very  brisk.  Some  more 
of  these  innocent  creatures  would  not  be  amiss. 
But  pray  send  no  more  mud-turtles — one  is  enough. 
The  water-turtle  is  a  pretty  species — came  very  well." 
Here  is  what  Bartram  wrote  about  our  dirt-daubers, 
which  build  their  nests  in  the  crevices  and  corners 
of  every  neglected  tenement:  "I  have  sent  you  a 
variety  of  the  clay  cells  which  the  singing  wasps 
built  last  summer,  that  I  consider  very  curious." 
All  tourists  have  made  Florida  a  point  of  scientific 
research,  in  various  ways,  for  many  years. 

Far  in  ether,  stars  above  thee 

Ever  beam  with  purest  light; 
Birds  of  richest  music  love  thee, 

Flowers  than  Eden's  hues  more  bright; 
And  love,  young  love,  so  fresh  and  fair, 
Fills  with  his  breath  thy  gentle  air. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          333 

Tallahassee  cannot  be  pointed  out  as  the  place 
where  great  literary  works  first  saw  the  light — such 
as  the  Commentaries  of  Csesar,  or  where  Cicero 
rounded  his  periods,  or  Horace  gave  the  last  polish 
to  his  Odes,  or  Milton  conceived  the  grand  idea  of 
his  Paradise  Lost;  but  from  its  choice  shrubbery 
the  golden  oriole  trills  its  melody,  and  the  mocking- 
bird warbles  in  the  sky  and  on  the  house-tops,  or  fills 
the  air  with  song  from  neighboring  trees  at  night. 

De  Soto,  after  discovering  Espiritu  Santo  Bay  in 
1539,  came  through  the  country  to  an  Indian  village 
called  Auhayca,  now  the  site  of  Tallahassee  —  the 
name  signifying  "old  field  " — where,  with  his  army, 
he  spent  the  winter.  While  here  he  secured  the 
services  of  an  Indian  guide,  who  proved  to  be  "a 
most  elaborate  liar  on  various  occasions,"  in  regard 
to  gold-mines  which  only  existed  in  his  imagination. 
The  Spanish  soldiers  accompanying  De  Soto  were 
encased  with  armor,  which  creates  a  wonder  in  the 
minds  of  all  who  have  seen  it,  how  they  were  able 
to  march  through  a  country  offering  so  many  obsta- 
cles, with  such  an  immense  weight  on  their  bodies. 
One  winter's  sojourn  in  this  locality  was  sufficient 
to  satisfy  De  Soto  that  no  treasures  could  be  discov- 
ered hidden  away  in  the  hills  around  Tallahassee; 
consequently,  the  following  spring  he  left. 

Tallahassee  is  situated  in  the  center  of  the  State. 
The  first  house  erected  after  the  cession  of  Florida 
to  the  United  States  was  in  1824,  the  Legislature 
convening  there  the  following  winter.  In  1825  it 
became  an  incorporated  town.  In  January,  1826, 
the  corner-stone  of  the  State-house  wras  laid,  and  one 


334          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

wing  of  the  building  erected  during  the  year.  The 
growth  of  this  town,  after  its  incorporation,  equaled 
any  in  America.  It  was  situated  on  an  eminence 
which  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  with  picturesque  scenery,  and  on  a  stream 
of  water  fed  by  bold  springs.  The  State  Governor 
speaks  of  its  early  American  settlement  as  a  place 
"where  the  emigrants  crowded,  the  rising  walla  of 

o  o 

the  capitol  being  the  attraction  " — "  the  woods  yield- 
ing their  shade  to  the  saw,  and  their  silence  to  the 
hammer" — the  vicinity  rapidly  changing  from  na- 
tive forest-land  to  well-cultured  fields. 

On  account  of  being  situated  twenty  miles  from 
the  Gulf,  the  prospect  of  its  ever  becoming  an  im- 
portant commercial  point  for  business  was  not  antic- 
ipated. The  surface  of  the  country  around  Talla- 
hassee changes  from  the  flat  lands  of  Florida  to  an 
elevated  and  undulating  country,  and  from  sand  to 
red  clay.  A  gentleman-passenger  who  had  retired 
to  sleep  during  the  night  where  the  land  was  level, 
on  awaking  in  the  morning,  and  noticing  the  change 
in  the  surface  of  the  country,  called  out  to  the  con- 
ductor, "Look  here,  boss!  haven't  you  got  this 
machine  turned  around,  and  taking  us  back  into 
Georgia?" 

Persons  perusing  the  following  will  be  enabled  to 
see  the  material  of  which  Governors'  messages  were 

c? 

made,  in  the  Executive  Department,  during  the  In- 
dian war  in  Florida: 

"Tallahassee,  February,  1840.  —  Since  you  have 
been  in  session  a  number  of  our  people  —  among 
them  a  woman  and  children — have  literally  been 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          335 

butchered  by  the  Indians,  many  of  whom  occupy 
the  swamps  and  other  fastnesses  of  Florida,  from 
the  Appalachicola  to  the  Suwanee,  while  in  East 
Florida  the  murder  of  the  mail-carriers  within  a  few 
miles  of  St.  Augustine,  proves  how  unavailing  has 
been  every  effort  to  restrain  the  enemy  in  that  quar- 
ter. Indeed,  it  would  seem  that  the  cruelties  of 
these  wild  beasts  —  for  so  they  deserve  to  be  re- 
garded, and  their  thirst  for  blood  places  them  be- 
yond the  pale  of  humanity  —  are  becoming  more 
and  more  audacious,  their  deeds  of  horror  rather 
accumulating  than  diminishing.  They  venture  to 
assail  houses,  and  appear  in  our  public  roads  in  the 
open  day;  they  press  beyond  military  posts  to  per- 
petrate their  murderous  purposes,  starting  up  like 
evil  spirits  when  least  expected  to  appear,  destroy- 
ing the  brave,  virtuous,  and  innocent.  Their  num- 
bers can  only  be  conjectured:  it  is  not  doubted  that 
some  sent  to  the  West  have  returned;  but  be  the 
number  great  or  small,  every  thicket  and  deep  forest 
is  liable  to  be  occupied  by  them;  they  elude  pur- 
suit; driving  them  from  one  place  to  another  is 
impracticable,  as  within  the  past  year  they  have 
planted  near  military  posts.  Our  situation  is  des- 
perate;  men  sleep  with  arms  under  their  pillows;  a 
sense  of  insecurity  accompanies  the  traveler  in  his 
journey  on  the  highway;  every  neighborhood  has 
its  tale  of  blood,  and  those  in  authority  look  around 
them  in  pain  and  distress,  because  they  are  power- 
less to  afford  an  adequate  remedy  for  the  evils 
thronging  around  them  in  every  direction.  This  is 
no  exaggerated  picture  of  our  present  condition. 


336          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Romance  lags  far  behind  the  realities  we  daily  wit- 
ness, and  it  becomes  our  duty  to  consider  what  shall 
be  done  for  the  relief  of  the  country.  No  occasion 
has  yet  occurred  for  testing  the  usefulness  of  the 
dogs  brought  from  Cuba.  It  is  still  believed,  how- 
ever, that  they  maybe  used  with  effect;  and  why 
should  they  not  be  used?  If  robbers  and  assassins 
assail  us,  may  we  not  defend  our  property  and  our 
lives,  even  with  bloodhounds?  Shall  we  look  upon 
our  ruined  dwellings — upon  the  murdered  and  man- 
gled remains  of  men,  women,  and  children — then 
meekly  say,  'The  poor  Indians  have  done  this;  we 
must  be  merciful  and  humane  to  them  ;  we  will  not 
set  our  dogs  upon  them.  O  no !  that  would  be  more 
horrible  than  these  butcheries.'  Those  who  are  safe 
from  Indian  alarms,  in  distant  cities  and  peaceful 
lands,  may  indulge  in  gentle  strains  of  humanity 
and  brotherly  love — were  they  dwellers  in  the  log- 
cabins  of  Florida,  they  would  attune  their  notes  to 
harsher  measures.  Let  these  men,  in  whose  hearts 
there  is  such  a  gush  of  the  milk  of  human  kind- 
ness, consider  attentively  a  scene  recently  exhibited 
upon  the  Appalachicola.  Mr.  Harlan's  dwelling  was 
burned,  and  his  family  murdered,  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  20th  of  last  January.  Mr.  H.  was  absent, 
and  the  following  is  from  an  eye-witness:  'On  ar- 
riving at  the  spot,  we  found  every  house  reduced  to 
ashes — at  the  kitchen-door  the  bones  of  a  human 
being,  nearly  consumed.  Upon  examination,  we 
saw  the  track  of  the  moccasin.  On  the  trail,  not  far 
off',  we  saw  articles  of  clothing,  potatoes,  and  papers, 
dropped.  Soon  afterward  about  twenty-one  armed 


Petals  Plucked  from  Stuwy  Climes.          337 

persons  arrived  from  Tola,  among  them  Mr.  Ilarlan, 
\vho  in  a  wretched  state  of  feeling  proceeded  to 
examine  the  burnt  bones,  believing  them  to  be  the 
remains  of  his  wife  and  son,  whose  knife  he  found 
amongst  them.  One  of  the  men,  in  searching  be- 
hind a  tree  about  one  hundred  yards  distant,  called 
out,  "  Come  here,  Ilarlan!  here  is  your  wife."  Joy 
sprang  to  my  bosom  as  I  ran  to  see  the  dead  come 
to  life;  but  there  was  Mrs.  II.,  with  her  throat  cut, 
a  ball  shot  through  her  arm,  one  in  her  back,  and  a 
fatal  shot  through  her  head.  Her  youngest  son, 
eight  years  of  age,  lay  near  her  side,  with  his  skull 
fractured  by  a  pine-knot.  He  exhibited  signs  of 
life,  and  I  had  him  carried  to  a  shelter,  water  given 
him,  and  his  feet,  which  were  cold,  bathed  in  warm, 
water;  slight  hopes  are  entertained  of  his  recovery. 
Had  you  witnessed  the  heart-rending  sight — the  fa- 
ther embracing  and  calling  his  son,  "Buddie!  Bud- 
die!" with  the  solemn  sound  of  parental  affection, 
sunk  to  the  lowest  ebb  of  dejection,  and  then  run- 
ning to  his  wife,  with  his  arms  around  her,  shriek- 
ing, "My  wife!  my  wife!" — I  know  your  feelings 
would  have  given  way,  as  mine  did.  I  had  hereto- 
fore felt  a  sympathy  for  these  savages,  but  my  mind 
then  assumed  a  stern  fortitude  foreign  to  its  nature, 
and  I  felt  not  like  leaving  an  Indian  foot  to  make  a 
track  in  the  desolation  they  had  caused.'  Who  can 
witness  such  atrocities  without  admitting  it  to  be 
lawful  to  use  blood-hounds  against  such  hell-hounds? 
It  is  my  solemn  conviction  that  the  only  mode  of  con- 
quering the  Indians  is  to  hunt  and  pursue  them,  in 
every  direction,  with  a  competent  force  of  brave  and 


338          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

hardy  men  devoted  to  the  service,  and  generously 
rewarded  by  their  country  for  the  perils  and  priva- 
tions they  endure.  R.  R.  REED,  Governor" 

"GENUINE  BLOOD-HOUNDS. — Tallahassee,  January, 
1840.  The  blood-hounds,  with  their  twenty  leash- 
men,  have  arrived  from  Cuba,  and  are  landed  in  Tal- 
lahassee. They  have  been  tried,  and  follow  a  trail 
with  accuracy  twenty-four  hours  old." 

"November,  1840. — On  last  Monday  one  more  of 
these  animals  arrived  from  Cuba.  He  is  mouse-col- 
ored, strong-limbed,  and  with  a  nose  that  could  scent 
the  trail  of  a  butterfly.  He  was  whelped  and  raised 
in  the  mountains  on  one  of  the  sugar-estates,  and  is 
known  to  be  of  the  best  pedigree.  His  propensities 
for  blood  are  of  the  highest  order,  having  slain  and 

O  '  O 

eaten  two  negroes  entire,  besides  one-third  of  his 
own  tail  —  a  mistake  which  has  somewhat  marred 
the  beauty  of  the  graceful  appendage.  Two  Indians 
were  caught  in  the  neighborhood  of  Tallahassee  with 
the  blood-hounds.  They,  no  doubt,  have  not  had  a 
fair  trial." 

The  poor  blood-hounds  were  ridiculed  on  every 
side — read  the  following:  "Seven  peace-hounds  left 
Black  Creek  for  the  Ocklawaha  on  Thursday." 

The  whole  country  at  this  time  was  in  a  state  of 
trepidation;  the  feelings  of  the  people  could  not  be 
described;  but  an  order  was  republished  which  had 
been  issued  during  a  similar  exigence,  in  the  year 
1764,  by.  William  Penn: 

"BOUNTIES  ON  HEADS. — Whereas  the  Six  Nations 
of  Indians  have  been  at  amity  with  Great  Britain, 
but  now,  having  broken  their  most  solemn  treaties," 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          339 

etc.,  "for  the  scalps  of  every  male  Indian,  above  the 
age  often  years,  produced  as  evidence  of  their  hav- 
ing been  killed,  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  pieces 
of  eight,  or  Spanish  dollars.  God  save  the  king!" 
Some  amusing  incidents  are  related  in  connection 
with  the  Florida  war,  as  well  as  those  not  so  very  lu- 
dicrous. In  Tallahassee  they  were  subjected  to  fre- 
quent scares  from  the  Indians.  The  approach  of  the 
foe  was  to  be  announced  by  the  ringing  of  the  Plan- 
ter's Hotel  bell,  the  only  one  then  in  the  town.  This 
bell  was  the  tocsin  for  an  instant  assembling  in  the 
market-house  of  the  Home  Guards,  let  the  hour  be 
midnight  or  noonday.  These  Guards  held  a  convo- 
cation every  night  at  8  o'clock,  to  receive  orders  and 
be  detailed  for  duty  —  each  sentry  to  stand  guard 
four  hours,  being  at  his  post  by  9  o'clock,  and  a  cor- 
poral appointed  to  go  on  a  tour  of  inspection,  to  see 
if  the  men  on  duty  were  not  asleep.  Each  object 

that  moved  or  breathed  was  magnified  into  a  wilv 

«  * 

Indian.  A  gentle  William-goat  could  not  graze  in 
peace  after  nightfall  without  being  in  danger  of  re- 
ceiving a  bullet  for  his  temerity.  The  following  in- 
cident is  the  most  stupendous  scare  of  the  war:  Mr. 
T.  Barnard,  being  on  duty  one  night,  saw  a  dark  ob- 
ject approaching,  which,  from  its  cautious  tread,  he 
was  certain  could  be  nothing  but  the  long-looked- 
for  and  much-dreaded  savage.  According  to  a  pre- 
vious arrangement,  the  enemy's  approach  was  to  be 
announced  by  the  firing  of  a  gun.  lie  fired,  then 
followed  a  terrible  tramping,  which  he  considered 
unmistakable  evidence  of  a  retreating  foe.  When 
day  dawned  the  citizens  were  in  a  state  of  great 


340          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

fear,  which  was  much  increased  after  a  moccasin 
track  had  been  seen  marked  with  blood.  Armed 
men  patroled  the  streets,  while  women,  children, 
and  servants,  were  rushing,  in  the  wildest  confu- 
sion, to  the  State-house,  as  the  only  place  of  safety. 
When  the  truth  became  known,  and  the  facts  ex- 
plained, everybody  had  a  good  laugh  over  their 
fright.  The  sentinel,  having  lost  his  shoe  the 
night  before  in  his  encounter  with  a  goat,  returned 
to  search  for  it,  when  he  saw  the  track  made  by 
himself  in  the  soft  sand  while  in  his  sock-feet,  the 
impress  resembling  an  Indian  moccasin,  the  ground 
having  been  stained  by  a  lame  mule  in  cropping  the 
herbage. 

Besides  the  constant  state  of  alarm  in  which  the 
citizens  lived,  there  were  tragic  occurrences  hap- 
pening in  their  midst  too  true  for  jesting,  and  too 
shocking  for  sensitive  nerves  to  hear  related,  with- 
out shuddering  for  their  own  safety.  We  find 
this  one,  among  others,  bearing  date  January  22, 
1842: 

"  On  Sabbath  a  band  of  Indians,  supposed  to  num- 
ber thirty-five  or  forty,  attacked  two  wagons  loaded 
with  salt,  whisky,  etc.  They  stripped  the  negroes 
of  their  clothes,  except  their  shirts,  taking  every 
thing  from  the  wagons.  Whilst  engaged  in  their 
work  of  plunder,  Mr.  Solomon  Mather  rode  up, 
when  the  Indians  pursued  him,  firing  five  or  six 
times,  wounding  him  slightly  in  the  shoulder.  In 
the  meanwhile  the  negroes  put  wrhip  to  their  mules 
and  escaped.  This  affair  took  place  at  the  Flat 
Branch,  on  the  Magnolia  Road,  about  fourteen 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          8il 

miles  from  Tallahassee,  near  the  residence  of  Mr. 
J.  II.  Byrd." 

The  lands  lying  around  Tallahassee  evince  marks 
of  taste,  having  been  inclosed  by  the  Cherokee  rose, 
which  forms  a  tine  hedge,  whose  evergreen  foliage 
lives  all  the  year,  while  its  snow-white  blooms 
crown  it  with  beauty  in  their  season.  The  mag- 
nolia grandiflora,  queen  of  the  forest,  with  its 
smooth,  glossy,  green  leaves  and  immense  flowers, 
grows  without  culture;  while  the  sickly,  dwarfed 
oleander  and  cape  jasmine,  of  Northern  culture, 
is  used  here  to  shade  the  avenues  of  pleasure- 
grounds.  The  tine  brick  residences,  of  extensive 
proportions,  add  testimony  in  confirmation  of  its 
past  prosperity.  Churches  of  different  denomina- 
tions, substantially  built,  speak  for  the  morals  of 
the  community,  while  the  kind-hearted  people  can 
speak  for  themselves.  The  installation  of  the  first 
Presbyterian  minister  in  Florida  took  place  on  the 
28th  of  March,  1841,  in  Tallahassee.  Although 
many  persons  have  lived  here  who  were,  no  doubt, 
celebrated,  in  their  own  estimation,  yet  none  of 
royal  blood  has  ever  been  traced  with  certainty  but 
Colonel  Napoleon  Achilles  Murat,  whose  last  resi- 
dence was  about  one  and  a  quarter  miles  from 
town — the  place  now  being  owned  by  ex-Governor 
Bloxham.  He  was  a  son  of  Joachin  Murat,  King  of 
Naples,  who  was  shot  in  Castle  Pizzo  for  insurrec- 
tion. When  required  to  meet  his  doom,  a  chair 
was  offered  him,  and  a  bandage  for  his  eyes,  to 
which  he  replied,  "I  have  braved  death  long 
enough  now  to  face  it  with  my  eyes  open  and 


342          Petals  Plucked  from  Sanny  Climes. 

standing."  Achilles  Murat,  with  his  mother,  came 
to  America  in  1821,  settli  ng  near  Monticel  lo,  Florida, 
naming  his  plantation  Liponia,  but  afterward  retired 
to  Bellevue,  near  Tallahassee,  where  he  lived  several 
years,  with  his  wife,  who  was  a  relative  of  General 
Washington.  Having  witnessed  the  vanity  of  pomp 
and  display  in  his  youth,  he  assumed  very  little  style 
during  the  last  days  of  his  life.  A  short  time  pre- 
vious to  his  death,  the  bishop  from  Mobile  made  a 
visit  to  Tallahassee,  he  being  apprised  of  the  fact 
that  upon  a  certain  day  Colonel  Murat  would  make 
him  a  visit,  dressed  in  his  robes  of  State,  to  receive 
princely  blood,  as  officers  of  both  Church  and  State 
are  entitled  to  a  certain  amount  of  consideration 
from  each  other,  in  keeping  with  the  dignity  of 
their  position.  The  morning  advanced  until  nearly 
midday,  with  no  appearance  of  Colonel  Murat,  when 
finally  a  thin,  bony  old  horse,  with  a  thinner,  more 
shadowy  old  man  on  his  back,  was  seen  approach- 
ing the  avenue  to  Dr.  Barnard's  residence,  accom- 
panied by  his  body-guard,  a  very  black  negro 
named  William,  who  was  walking.  The  colonel 
was  attired  in  country  home-spun,  known  as  brown 
jean,  in  Southern  vernacular.  His  hat  and  shoes 
both  indicated  marks  of  wear,  while  age  had  robbed 
him  of  all  desire  for  pageant,  as  the  day  had  dawned 
when  priests  and  princes  were  alike,  in  his  estima- 
tion. After  a  long  interview  with  the  bishop, 
Colonel  Murat  retired  to  his  rural  home.  Mrs. 
Murat  was  much  annoyed  with  the  irregularities 
and  eccentricities  of  his  conduct  during  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  which,  in  common  people,  would 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          343 

have  been  termed  craziness,  but  in  royalty,  or 
genius,  it  is  relieved  with  a  border,  and  termed  pe- 
culiarities, or  idiosyncrasies.  Many  amusing  an- 
ecdotes are  related  in  regard  to  the  common  people 
who  lived  near  Colonel  Murat.  Having  been  in- 
formed that  a  king's  son  lived  not  far  from  them,  they 
often  went  purposely  to  see  him,  relating  the  object 
of  their  mission  as  soon  as  they  arrived.  When 
they  found  the  colonel  dressed  in  country  clothes 
and  cowhide  boots,  his  rustic  visitors  were  unable 
to  discover  any  apparent  marks  of  royalty,  and  in- 
variably, after  entering  his  domains,  asked  to  see 
Prince  Murat.  On  being  told  that  he  was  the  man, 
they  would  respond,  "Why,  you  don't  look  like  a 
king."  Colonel  Murat  died  suddenly,  April  15, 
1847,  on  his  plantation,  and  was  buried  near  Talla- 
hassee, in  the  cemetery,  without  ceremony.  His 
wife  survived  him  several  years,  living  in  town. 

In  Leon  county,  sixteen  miles  from  Tallahassee, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Bryan,  one  of  our  best  Southern 
writers,  was  born.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Major 
John  D.  Edwards,  one  of  Florida's  first  and  most 
honored  members  of  the  Legislature.  Her  father, 
being  a  man  of  wealth,  wished  every  thing  in  keep- 
ing with  his  position  ;  for  this  reason  he  reared  a 
mansion,  known  as  "  Castle  Folly,"  on  account  of 
its  immense  size  and  costly  material,  the  wood- 
work inside  being  of  solid  mahogany,  its  location 
almost  isolated  from  all  other  residences  even  of 
humbler  pretensions.  Her  early  life  was  not  spent 
in  a  wicked  city,  where  the  morning  papers  teemed 
with  sad  tales  from  the  depths  of  depravity,  fished 


344          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  dimes. 

up  from  the  slums  of  vice,  which  keep  high  car- 
nival under  cover  of  darkness,  hiding  their  foul 
forms  in  the  srhire  of  sunlight,  and  holding  their 

O  o          /  o 

fetid  breaths  when  the  dewy  freshness  of  morn 
wafts  its  odors  on  the  new-horn  day  ;  hut  where  the 
gay  pomegranate  glistened,  with  its  pendant  flam- 
ing bells,  and  the  snowy  tribute  of  cape  jasmine, 
loaded  with  its  perfume  of  overpowering  sweet- 
ness; while,  like  a  shower  of  heavenly  blessings 
upon  every  zephyr,  was  borne  the  fragrant  treas- 
ures from  the  orange -blooms,  gentle  as  a  pure 
spirit-  in  a  holy  trance,  which  leaves  our  minds  in 
a  blissful,  dreamy  state,  as  though  \ve  were  floating 
in  mid-air.  Her  home  was  one  around  which  child- 
hood loves  to  linger,  environed  by  primeval  forests, 
where  the  placid  waters  of  the  land-locked  lakes  re- 
flected the  fitful  shadows  of  the  towering  pine,  or 
wide -spreading  live-oak,  where  the  graceful  vine 
hung  in  festoons,  or  the  gray,  swaying  moss  hung 
from  its  drooping  limbs,  and  danced  to  the  music 
of  the  soft-sighing  winds,  as  they  swept  through 
the  evergreen  foliage  and  died  away  in  the  dense 
thickets.  It  was  when,  from  one  of  those  crystal 
lakes,  she  saw  the  evening  star,  as  it  stole  through 
the  gleam  of  the  dying  day,  reflecting  its  pale, 
trembling  light  alone,  that  she  felt  the  throbbings 
of  unrest  stirring  the  depths  of  her  soul.  In  these 
placid  waters  the  virgin  lilies  bathed  their  beautiful 
heads,  while  the  golden  gates  of  day  were  closed, 
and  the  voices  of  night  whispered  themselves  to 
rest  on  the  balmy  breezes.  Many  of  her  happy 
girlhood-days  were  spent  in  "Salubrity,"  the  home 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          345 

of  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Julia  McBride,  whose  many  Chris- 
tian virtues  and  philanthropic  acts  still  live  in  the 
memory  of  those  who  knew  her.  However,  the 
longings  of  her  thirsty  soul  Avere  never  satisfied 
until  she  had  held  communion  with  the  spirits  of 
those  whose  grand  thoughts  she  found  recorded  in 

«— '  C3 

the  volumes  of  her  uncle's  library.  It  was  while 
reading  from  the  pages  of  classic  lore,  or  the  more 
enchanting  strains  of  poetic  rhythm,  during  the 
absence  of  Colonel  R.  B.  Houghton,  her  mother's 
brother,  that  a  happiness  unknown  to  coarser  clay 
was  realized,  and  her  spirit  found  repose.  Mrs. 
Bryan  is  one  of  those  flexible,  trusting  spirits,  equal 
to  any  emergency  in  the  struggles  of  life,  which 
sorrows,  however  deep,  may  bend  for  a  time,  but, 
like  the  flower  too  much  freighted  with  rain-drops, 
only  bows  its  head  until  the  sunshine  comes  with 
its  welcome  beams  to  kiss  away  the  moisture,  when 
its  bright  petals  open,  and  again  it  looks  heaven- 
ward. A  presence  diffuses  itself  in  all  her  writ- 
ings sweet  as  the  perfume  by  which  she  was  sur- 
rounded in  her  own  lovely  home,  pure  as  the  heav- 
enly-lustered  orbs  that  overshadowed  her  pathway. 
At  twilight,  when 

Venus,  robed  in  clouds  of  rosy  hue, 
Flings  from  her  golden  urn  the  vesper  dew, 

she  rises  on  the  wings  of  fane}-,  and  the  rich,  mellow 
streams  of  thought  flow  freely,  buoyed  up  by  vis- 
ions which  shadow  no  tumultuous  cares,  or  sounds 
of  woe,  the  fires  of  genius  burning  brightly  on  the 
altar  of  thought,  as  the  blazing  meteor  which,  at 


346          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

God's  command,  guided  the  wandering  Israelites 
to  their  promised  rest.  The  versatility  of  talent 
she  exemplifies  so  remarkably  is  really  wonderful, 
while  she  may  be  classed  among  that  gifted  num- 
ber who,  in  spite  of  prejudice  or  criticism,  fastens 
the  minds  of  her  readers,  taking  them  captive  at 
will.  She  is  now  the  star  of  the  Sunny  South,  pub- 
lished in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  from  whose  columns  her 
pure  thoughts  are  sparkling  every  week,  to  illumine 
the  home  circles  of  many  Southern  families.  All 
her  writings  arc  characterized  by  that  chaste  fresh- 
ness of  originality,  that  earnestness  of  feeling,  em- 
anating from  a  truly  pure  heart,  which  have  been 
poetically  and  truthfully  described  in  the  following 
lines: 

Bryan  !  hers  the  words  that  glisten, 
Opal  gems  of  sunlit  rain! 

So  much  the  woman,  you  may  listen, 
Heart-beats  pulsing  in  her  brain! 

About  sixteen  miles  from  Tallahassee  has  been 
discovered  another  of  those  remarkable  springs 
found  in  Florida.  In  order  to  reach  it,  we  take  the 
St.  Mark's  train,  sending  a  carnage  in  advance  to 

i  £j  CP 

meet  us  at  Oil  Station,  six  miles  from  Wakulla 
Spring.  Few  objects  of  interest  are  seen  on  the 
way;  but  here,  where  the  woodman's  ax  and  the 
turpentine  still  are  not  silencing  the  sounds  that 
have  echoed  through  the  airy  forms  of  these  for- 
est-trees, which  have  stood  as  sentinels  for  centu- 
ries, we  can  listen  to  the  music  among  the  pines— 
a  strange,  unearthly  moaning,  vibrating  movement 
of  lanceolate  leaves,  the  sound  produced  being  at- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          347 

tributable  to  the  loose  manner  in  which  they  are 
attached  to  the  bark  of  their  stems. 

You  may  as  well  forbid  the  mountain-pines 
To  wag  their  high  tops,  and  to  make  no  noise 
When  they  are  fretted  with  the  gusts  of  heaven. 

The  spring  is  reached  at  last,  where  we  can  feast 
our  eyes  with  its  pearly  hues  and  changing,  shim- 
mering \vaters,  dancing  in  the  sunlight.  It  is  about 
seventy-five  yards  wide  and  sixty  in  length,  its  great- 
est depth  being  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet. 
The  water  is  blue  limestone,  but  looks  green  from 
reflection,  and  very  cold,  said  to  produce  a  numbing 
effect  upon  those  who  try  bathing  in  its  transparent 
depths.  It  is  the  head-waters  of  Wakulla  River, 
forming  a  bold  stream  at  a  single  bound  from  its 
subterranean  home.  The  following  description  of 
this  spring,  by  a  writer  who  visited  it  over  a  hun- 
dred years  since,  will  give  the  reader  a  more  correct 
idea  than  any  recently-published  articles,  although 
many  who  visit  it  now  think  they  have  the  keys  of 
all  knowledge  in  delineation,  and  a  vast  amount  of 
wisdom  will  cease  to  illumine  the  world  when  their 
existence  is  extinguished: 

"This  charming  nympheum  is  the  product  of 
primitive  nature,  not  to  be  imitated,  much  less 
equaled,  by  the  united  effort  of  human  power  and 
ingenuity.  As  we  approach  it  b}- water  the  mind 
•of  the  inquiring  traveler  is  previously  entertained, 
and  gradually  led  on  to  a  greater  discovery — first, 
by  a  view  of  the  sublime  dark  grove,  lifted  up  on 
shore  by  a  range  or  curved  chain  of  hills  at  a  short 


348          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

distance  from  the  lively  green  verge  of  the  river  on 
the  east  banks,  as  we  gently  descend  floating  fields 
of  the  nymphea  in  lumbo,  with  vistas  of  the  live- 
oak,  which  cover  a  bay  or  cove  of  the  river  opposite 
the  circular  woodland  hills.  It  is  amazing  and 
almost  incredible  what  troops  and  bands  of  fish  and 
other  watery  inhabitants  are  now  in  sight,  all  peace- 
able, and  in  what  a  variety  of  gay  colors  and  forms, 
constantly  ascending  and  descending,  roving  and 
figuring  among  one  another,  yet  every  tribe  associ- 
ating separately.  We  now  ascended  the  crystal 
stream,  the  current  swift;  we  entered  the  grand 
fountain,  the  expansive  circular  basin,  the  source  of 
which  rises  from  under  the  base  of  the  high  wood- 
land hills,  near  half  encircling  it.  the  ebullition  be- 
ins:  astonishing  and  continual,  though  its  greatest 

o  o  «-*  o 

force  or  fury  intermits  regularly  for  the  space  of 
thirty  seconds  of  time — the  ebullition  is  perpendic- 
ular, upward,  from  a  vast  rugged  orifice,  through  a 
bed  of  rocks  a  great  depth  below  the  common  sur- 
face of  the  basin,  throwing  up  small  particles  or 
pieces  of  white  shells,  which  subside  with  the  wa- 
ters at  the  moment  of  intermission,  gently  settling 
down  about  the  orifice,  forming  a  vast  funnel.  After 
those  moments  when  the  waters  rush  upward  the 
surface  of  the  basin  is  greatly  swollen,  and  then  it 
is  impossible  to  keep  the  boat,  or  any  other  floating 
vessel,  over  the  fountain;  but  the  ebullition  quickly 
subsides  —  yet,  before  the  surface  becomes  quite 
even,  the  waters  rise  again,  and  so  on  perpetually. 
The  basin  is  mostly  circular,  sending  out  a  con- 
stant stream  into  the  river  fifteen  yards  wide,  and 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          349 

ten  or  twelve  in  depth.  The  basin  and  stream 
are  both  peopled  with  prodigious  numbers  and 
variety  of  fish  and  other  animals,  as  the  alliga- 
tor, manatee,  or  sea-cow,  in  the  winter  season: 
part  of  the  skeleton  of  one,  which  the  Indians 
had  killed  last  winter,  lay  upon  the  banks  of  the 
spring;  the  grinding  teeth  were  about  an  inch  in 
diameter,  the  ribs  eighteen  inches  in  length,  and 
two  inches  and  a  half  in  thickness,  bending  with  a 
gentle  curve — these  bones  being  esteemed  equal  to 
ivory.  The  flesh  of  this  creature  is  considered 
wholesome  and  pleasant  food.  The  hills  and  groves 
environing  this  admirable  fountain  afford  amusing 
subjects  of  inquiry." 

At  this  time  it  was  called  by  the  Indians  Manatee 
Spring. 

Twenty  miles  west  from  Tallahassee  on  the  rail- 
road we  arrive  at  the  town  of  Quincy,  situated  on 
a  hill  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding 
country.  The  population  numbers  about  twelve 
hundred ;  the  houses  are  built  of  wood,  painted  very 
white,  which  gives  them  a  refreshingly-neat  appear- 
ance. The  citizens  have  a  welcome  for  visitors  which 
is  home-like.  On  account  of  the  undulating  sur- 

o 

face  of  the  lands  a  diversity  of  scenery  is  found 
here  not  seen  in  other  portions  of  the  State  —  nu- 
merous streams,  which  flow  with  a  musical  cadence 
from  their  homes  under  the  hillsides,  running  far 
away  to  swell  the  streams  that  are  soon  lost  in  the 
great  gulf  below  them.  During  the  early  settlement 
of  this  portion  of  the  State  cotton-planters  were  not 
attracted  to  it,  as  the  broken  lands  were  not  as 


350          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

favorable  for  its  culture  as  the  more  level — for  this 
reason  :  we  find  an  independent  class  of  settlers  who 
raised  what  they  consumed,  never  buying  meat  or 
bread  from  abroad.  Those  who  have  tried  growing 
cotton  were  successful,  the  long  staple  producing 
very  well.  Before  the  war  Cuban  tobacco  was  cul- 
tivated with  a  rich  reward,  as  they  supplied  dealers 
from  New  York,  also  a  foreign  commerce.  The 
scuppernong  grape  is  commencing  to  receive  atten- 
tion, for  which  enterprise  the  adaptability  of  the  soil 
is  favorable — wine  having  been  produced  here  equal 
to  the  famous  California  product. 

Twenty  miles  west  from  Quincy,  situated  on  a 
river  of  the  same  name,  is  the  town  of  Chattahoo- 
chee,  this  being  the  terminus  of  the  Mobile  &  Pen- 
sacola  liailroad.  The  State  Penitentiary  is  located 
here,  but  the  convicts  are  farmed  out.  The  rough 
condition  of  the  railroad  has  been  a  barrier  to  trav- 
elers going  there  much  since  the  war;  but  a  pros- 
pective change,  when  effected,  will  make  it  more 
agreeable  for  all  parties  concerned.  The  region  of 
country  below  contains  some  fine  orange  groves. 
Those  shipping  oranges  say  they  prefer  Columbus 
or  Atlanta  to  New  York,  on  account  of  more  rapid 
transit  and  less  expense. 

The  route  through  Eufaula  and  Montgomery, 
North,  taking  a  steamer  at  Chattahoochee,  is  becom- 
ing more  popular  every  year,  as  tourists  are  fond  of 
variety.  A  line  of  stages  connecting  Quincy  with 
Bainbridge,  a  short  day's  ride,  enables  those  desir- 
ous of  locating  to  see  the  countrv  to  better  advan- 

o  \f 

tage.     The  overland  passage  appears  robbed  of  its 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          351 

monotony  by  the  long  hedges  of  Cherokee  rose- 
bushes, crowned  with  their  pink  and  white  petals, 
which  lend  a  brilliancy  to  the  country  through 
which  we  pass,  not  soon  forgotten.  Yards,  gardens, 
and  avenues,  dressed  in  floral  robes,  are  frequent; 
but  miles  of  roses  who  can  describe !  The  lands  on 
our  route  are  diversified,  also  the  timber,  but  the 
yellow  pine  predominates. 

Bainbridge  is  at  last  reached,  when  a  wonder  fills  our 
minds.  What  made  this  town  so  big?  It  was  once 
the  center  of  trade  fora  large,  fertile  country  around 
the  Appalachicola  River,  this  place  being  the  medi- 
um of  communication  where  fine  steamers  could  be 
seen  loading  the  wealth  of  a  prosperous  people.  The 
war  came  and  robbed  them  of  their  labor — the  rail- 
roads then  turned  the  tide  of  communication  in  an- 
other direction,  leaving  them  above  high -water 
mark.  However,  the  trade  is  now  reviving,  as  proof 
of  which  it  is  a  favorite  resort  for  commercial  tour- 
ists of  all  kinds. 

Thomasville,  about  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Bain- 
bridge,  is  a  pleasantly-located  town,  where  visitors 
can  be  accommodated  with  most  of  the  modern  im- 
provements in  hotel-keeping;  also  palatable,  tooth- 
some dishes,  which  finely-pampered  appetites  require. 
The  Mitchell  House  makes  Florida  tourists  a  spe- 
cialty, this  being  a  point  where  they  can  come  to  in- 
hale the  healing,  balsamic  odors  from  the  surround- 
ing pines,  and  refresh  their  perishing  natures  with 
the  good  things  raised  from  the  best  of  lands  by  a 
most  excellent  people.  The  Gulf  House  has  an  old 
and  honored  reputation  for  fine  fare,  also  a  kind- 


352          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

hearted  host,  who  anticipates  the  wishes  of  his 
guests.  The  town  is  substantially  built — laid  out 
tastefully  and  elegantly — the  dwellings  being  mod- 
els of  neatness  and  culture,  embowered  in  emerald 
retreats  of  perennial  foliage,  which,  seen  from  the 
cleanly  sidewalks,  cause  many  strangers  to  sigh  for 
a  welcome  which  they  could  not  expect  while  far 
from  home.  The  yards  teem  with  flowers  in  mid- 
winter, blooming  from  rockeries,  mounds,  and 
twining  vines,  where  occasionally  an  artificial  fount- 
ain, with  its  sparkling  silver  veil,  echoes  its  cooling 
voice  as  it  falls  into  the  reservoir  below.  Trade  is 
brisk  here — large  stores,  well  filled  with  costly  goods, 
find  ready  purchasers  from  a  well-to-do  people  living 
in  the  town  and  country.  The  town  can  boast  two 
newspapers  and  one  periodical — indeed,  we  have 
heard  it  whispered  that  some  of  these  writers  think 
they  have  the  keys  of  knowledge  on  certain  facts 
pertaining  to  agriculture,  etc.  A  female  college 
has  been  established  in  this  vicinity  for  many  years, 
which  has  sent  from  its  halls  of  learning  many  cred- 
itable scholars,  who  are  now  filling  important  sta- 
tions in  the  spheres  allotted  them.  Several  tall- 
spired  churches  of  various  denominations  have  been 
erected  in  this  community,  where  gifted  heralds  of 
the  cross  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to 
large,  attentive  audiences,  which  is  a  good  key-note 
to  their  spiritual  condition.  Thomas  county  made 
an  exhibit  of  its  former  wealth  immediately  after 
the  war,  in  a  representation  entirely  of  colored  mem- 
bers— the  white  population  being  so  greatly  in  the 
minority  they  could  not  elect  one  of  their  own  color. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          353 

But  the  ambition  of  colored  politicians  in  this  sec- 
tion is  visibly  on  the  decline,  most  of  them  having 
such  thick  lips,  and,  like  Moses,  "  slow  of  speech," 
they  now  prefer  speaking  by  proxy  in  the  legislative 
halls.  Thomasville  has  no  facilities  for  water  com- 
munication with  the  outside  world,  but,  being  located 
on  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Road,  should  therewith  be 
content,  as  a  few  hours'  ride  will  furnish  them  an 
opportunity  of  taking  a  steamship  for  England  or 
any  part  of  the  world. 

As  we  leave  Thomasville  going  east,  we  pass- 
through  the  wire -grass  country  of  South  Georgia, 
containing  towns,  if  not  of  great  importance  in  ex- 
ternal appearance,  contain  the  best  of  citizens  with 
the  kindest  of  hearts.  Quitman  comes  first,  with  its 
plank  walks,  shaded  by  live-oaks,  its  home-like  ho- 
tels, and  hospitable,  law-abiding  people.  A  paper 
is  published  here  which  would  do  credit  to  a  place 
of  more  note.  A  cotton  factory  is  in  operation; 
indeed,  every  thing  in  the  town  moves  around  with 
the  vivacity  of  college -students  out  taking  their 
first  holiday.  Valadosta  is  the  last  town  of  any 
size  before  Savannah.  The  soil  looks  so  sandy,  the 
grass  so  wiry,  the  pine-trees  so  tall,  with  such 
mournful  music  sighing  through  their  airy  forms, 
awakened  by  the  slightest  zephyr  that  passes,  which 
produces  a  kind  of  melancholy  in  our  minds  as  to 
whether  we  should  have  any  thing  to  eat  or  not  if 
we  stopped.  All  fear  of  starving  can  be  dispelled, 
as  the  country  in  the  vicinity  produces  well,  which 
can  be  proven  by  the  immense  sweet  potatoes  on 
which  we  are  fed.  and  the  well-grown  sugar-cane  for 
16 


354          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

sale,  from  which  sirup  and  sugar  are  made.  A  very 
newsy  weekly  is  published  in  Valadosta,  the  editor 
being  the  author  of  the  Okatinokee  Swamp  Expe- 
dition, which  trip  has  furnished  him  with  material 
to  fill  out  many  an  interesting  column  in  his  inim- 
itable paper.  On  public  days  such  a  crowd  comes 
to  town,  the  mystery  is,  Where  do  they  all  stay? 
In  pleasant  homes  scattered  through  the  country, 
where  happy  hearts  beat  with  much  less  struggling 
than  those  in  higher  life,  boasting  greater  attain- 
ments. 

A  trip  on  this  road  at  night  is  not  unpleasant,  as 
so  many  light-wood  fires  are  burning  bright  near 
the  track,  kept  up  by  the  lumbermen  and  signals  for 
the  switch-tenders.  Collisions  from  sudden  curves 
never  occur  on  this  road,  it  being  built  so  much  on 
the  air-line  that  the  head-light  can  be  seen  in  many 
places  over  twenty  miles  distant.  Frequent  repeti- 
tion with  familiar  surroundings  blunts  the  accuracy 
of  the  perceptive  powers;  but  the  first  time  I  trav- 
eled this  route  it  appeared  like  a  kind  of  unreal 
scene,  as  the  moon  shone  with  an  apparently  un- 
wonted brilliancy  that  changed  all  external  objects 
into  an  epitome  of  the  "Arabian  Nights'  Enter- 
tainment." 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          355 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

'ANY  other  places  may  possess  their  varied 
amusements,  but  Pensacola  can  be  reck- 
oned among  the  cities  having  attractions 
sufficient  to  render  a  sojourn  very  agree- 
able. It  is  here  the  sun  gently  declines, 
leaving  a  train  of  glory  behind.  The  clouds  then 
loom  up  lazily  in  serried  ranks,  and  the  breakers 
from  Fort  Pickens  roar  in  the  distance,  like  un- 
happy spirits  of  strife,  when  a  swift  breeze  comes 
from  the  surrounding  forest,  and  warns  the  sails  to 
come  to  their  moorings  for  safety.  While  we  are 
impressed  with  the  thought  that  this  has  been  a  spot 
around  which  many  historic  records  have  clustered 
— that  the  days  of  its  departed  grandeur  are  forever 
gone — still  an  invisible  presence  encircles  it,  which 
appears  sacred,  while  a  solemn  echo  comes  from  the 
remembrance  of  past  pomp,  that  reminds  us  of  the 
perishable  nature  of  all  earthly  pageant. 

Pensacola  was  first  explored,  and  a  settlement 
commenced,  by  De  Luna,  in  1561,  who  landed  on 
the  bay  as  it  now  appears,  naming  it  Santa  Maria. 
This  feeble  colony,  on  account  of  hardships,  became 
discouraged  and  returned  home.  The  first  perma- 
nent settlement  was  made  by  the  French  in  1691. 

The  present  city  of  Pensacola  stands  on  a  bay  of 
the  same  name,  which  contains  a  safe  and  capacious 


356          Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

harbor,  where  vessels  drawing  twenty -one  feet  of 
water  can  enter  at  low-tide,  and  find  shelter  and 
fine  facilities  for  anchorage.  It  was  formerly  named 
Ochusa,  from  a  tribe  of  Indians  who  lived  here. 
Where  the  city  is  now  built  it  is  fine  siliceous  sand, 
supported  by  an  understratum  of  clay,  which  is  of 
varied  colors.  This  clay  is  manufactured  into  brick, 
from  which  some  of  the  houses  are  built,  also  pot- 
tery, and  the  monkey-jug,  or  water-cooler,  so  much 
used  among  the  Spaniards  in  Cuba  and  Key  West. 
The  present  plan  of  the  city  was  laid  out  by  the  En- 
glish in  1763,  after  they  took  possession  of  it.  The 
streets  cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  making 
squares  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  by  four  hundred 
feet,  with  a  bay  front  of  nearly  a  thousand  feet. 
Many  fine  buildings  were  erected  at  that  time — 
among  which  might  be  mentioned  Casa  Blanca,  the 
residence  of  the  Governor.  The  gardens  attached 
to  the  city  lots,  the  strong  fortifications,  and  the  ed- 
ifices of  different  designs  which  graced  the  streets 
and  squares,  were  the  pride  of  Florida.  The  Gov- 
ernor rode  in  his  chariot,  making  pleasure-trips  to 
his  landed  estates,  six  miles  from  town,  escorted  by 
his  postilions,  and  surrounded  by  his  companions 
in  authority,  thus  deporting  himself  like  a  genuine 
scion  of  royalty.  During  these  days  of  prosperity 
Pensacola  was  attacked  and  conquered  by  the  Span- 
iards under  Count  Galvez,  in  1781.  The  place  was 
defended  by  General  Campbell ;  but  the  magazine  at 
Fort  St.  Michael  being  blown  up,  resistance  was  use- 
less, and  the  town  surrendered.  This  event  marked 
the  commencement  of  its  decline;  the  work  of 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          357 

twenty  years  was  blighted,  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  city  waned.  When  Florida  was  ceded  by  Spain 
to  the  United  States,  St.  Augustine  in  East  Florida, 
and  Pensacola  in  West  Florida,  were  the  only  towns 
of  any  importance  in  the  State.  The  country  about 
the  city  was  poor,  the  good  lands  of  the  interior  be- 
ing occupied  by  the  Indians;  besides,  the  original 
settlers  were  not  as  enterprising  a  class  of  people  as 
those  in  East  Florida.  The  above  considerations, 
together  with  disease,  tierce  contests  with  foes  of 
other  nations,  its  inaccessibility,  and  no  large  water- 
course connecting  it  with  the  interior  fertile  cotton- 
lands,  are  the  combined  reasons  why  Pensacola  is 
not  equal  in  size  to  any  town  on  the  Gulf. 

Fort  Don  Carlos  de  Barrancas — the  word  Barran- 
cas signifying  broken  ground — was  so  named  on  ac- 
count  of  the  rugged  appearance  of  the  site  on  which 
the  fort  stands.  The  first  fortification  is  supposed 
to  have  been  built  by  a  commander  named  Auriola, 
in  1687,  as  a  defense  against  the  French.  It  was 
a  square,  with  bastions,  situated  near  the  site  of 
the  present  Fort  Barrancas.  What  remains  of  the 
ancient  fort  was  built  by  the  Spaniards  —  it  being  a 
tetragon,  with  salient  angles  at  each  corner,  and  for- 
merly had  a  tower  one  story  higher  than  the  curtains, 
which  served  as  a  point  for  reconnoisance.  It  has 
an  outer  scarp,  or  glacis,  surrounded  by  a  barbette 
twenty-two  feet  wide.  It  contains  an  embrasure,  the 
firing  being  done  from  the  loop-holes  and  parapets 
with  flank  defenses.  The  barbette  is  overgrown 

O 

with  weeds  and  cactus,  all  armed  with  projectiles 
more  to  be  dreaded  than  any  other  weapons  of  war- 


358          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

fare  in  position  here  now.  A  deep  dry- well  is  visi- 
ble near  one  corner  of  this  barbette,  supposed  to 
contain  the  buried  treasure  of  the  Spanish  Gov- 
ernor, and  for  which  it  is  said  he  ordered  three  of 
his  men  to  be  killed  to  prevent  their  divulging  the 
secret.  No  guns  are  mounted  on  the  parapet  but 
two  Rodmans  of  one  hundred  pounds  caliber.  The 
entrance  to  the  old  fort  is  through  a  scarp  gallery 
several  hundred  feet  in  length.  At  the  terminus  are 
three  arched  rooms,  the  arches  constructed  without 
nails,  from  native  pine  boards,  the  grooves  being  fit- 
ted to  each  other.  Here  was  the  Governor's  chamber 
for  council,  the  ordnance  department,  and  barracks. 
The  materials  employed  for  the  walls  were  only 
brick  and  mortar,  both  in  the  old  part  built  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  new  constructed  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. From  the  form  and  thickness  of  one  part  of 
the  fort,  it  is  supposed  to  contain  a  dungeon,  but  no 
efforts  have  yet  been  made  at  excavation,  to  explore 
its  hidden  secrets.  The  entire  fortress,  both  ancient 
and  modern,  is  surrounded  by  a  dry  moat,  the  main 
entrance  having  a  portcullis. 

The  present  fortification  of  Fort  Pickens  was  built 
in  1830.  It  is  situated  on  a  strip  of  land  fifty  miles 
in  length,  and  only  one-half  mile  in  width,  called 
Santa  Rosa  Island.  This  ground  has  been  the  scene 
of  various  conflicts  during  its  early  settlement,  of 
which  we  have  a  record  for  nearly  two  centuries. 
The  contests  between  the  Spanish  and  French  were 
always  severe,  the  victor  destroying  the  forts  and  de- 
vastating everything  within  reach — which  accounts 
for  the  disappearance  of  the  ancient  landmarks. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         359 

Fort  St.  Michael  and  Fort  St.  Bernard  were  other 
works  of  defense  built  in  the  rear  of  Pensacola,  but 
designed  originally  to  protect  the  town  and  harbor, 
and  also  to  serve  as  a  safeguard  against  the  Indians. 
The  principal  fort,  St.  Michael,  was  attacked  in  1781 
by  Don  Galvez,  when  a  bomb-shell  struck  the  east- 
ern glacis  of  Fort  St.  Bernard,  and,  in  rebounding, 
blew  up  the  magazine,  destroying  the  principal  re- 
doubt, which  compelled  the  garrison  to  surrender 
by  capitulation. 

It  is  but  little  more  than  half  a  century  since  Col- 
onel Nichols,  a  British  officer,  came  to  Pensacola, 
and  issued  his  proclamation,  offering  a  reward  of  ten 
dollars  each  for  the  scalps  of  colonists.  However, 
the  career  of  this  bold  usurper  and  ambitious  ad- 
venturer was  soon  terminated  by  General  Andrew 
Jackson  and  his  brave  men,  who  marched  into  the 
town,  then  defended  by  a  fleet  of  seven  armed  ves- 
sels, three  forts,  block-houses,  and  batteries  of  can- 
non defending  the  streets.  The  center  column  of 
Jackson's  army  was  composed  of  regulars,  and  pre- 
sented as  formidable  a  front  in  appearance  and 
strength  as  the  ancient  Grecian  phalanx.  The  bat- 
tery was  stormed  by  Captain  Laval,  who,  although 
severely  wounded  in  the  engagement,  afterward  re- 
covered from  his  injuries.  The  Spanish  Governor, 
Marinquez,  met  the  American  forces,  and  begged 
that  quarter  might  be  shown  the  citizens.  To  this 
proposition  General  Jackson  acceded,  protecting  in- 
dividual property  as  far  as  possible.  At  this  time 
Fort  Barrancas  was  blown  up,  all  the  guns  being 
spiked  but  two.  This  enabled  Colonel  Nichols  to 


800          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

escape  with  his  fleet.  All  the  fortifications  being 
now  destroyed,  General  Jackson  left,  after  holding 
the  place  two  days.  The  Spaniards  then  commenced 
building  Fort  Barrancas,  when  Colonel  Nichols  pi-of- 
fered his  aid ;  hut  the  Governor  refused,  telling  him 
his  friend  General  Jackson  would  do  better. 

In  1818  Jackson  received  information  that  the 
Spanish  would  not  permit  supplies  for  his  troops  to 
ascend  the  Escambia  Bay,  while  the  Indians  were 
supplied  from  Spanish  stores.  The  Governor  warned 
General  Jackson  against  making  an  attack,  saying- 
he  would  be  opposed  by  all  their  forces;  but,  with 
his  usual  go-ahead  zeal,  he  marched  in  and  took 
possession  of  the  town  without  opposition.  The 
Governor  had  taken  refuge  in  Fort  Barrancas, 
whither  Jackson  proceeded  during  the  night,  and 
commenced  erecting  breastworks.  The  Spaniards 
tired  upon  them,  which  was  returned  with  good 
effect  by  a  howitzer.  In  a  few  hours  the  fortress 
surrendered,  and,  by  the  terms  of  capitulation,  the 
garrison  was  sent  to  Havana.  Soon  after  Jackson 
came  into  possession  of  Pensacola,  he  was  told  that 
the  Spanish  Governor,  Callavea,  was  in  the  act  of 
sending  papers  relating  to  land-titles  away  to  Cuba, 
in  direct  violation  of  the  treaty.  General  Jackson 
demanded  these  documents,  and,  upon  being  re- 
fused, he  ordered  Callavea  into  the  calaboose,  but 
released  him  on  the  papers  and  boxes  being  returned. 
Afterward  several  of  the  Spanish  officers,  suffering 
from  outraged  feelings,  sent  a  remonstrance  to  Gen- 
eral Jackson  on  account  of  this  unheard  of  indignity 
toward  the  Spanish  Governor.  For  this  movement 


Petals  Plucked  from  Santvj  Climes.          361 

twelve  of  them  were  banished,  thus  establishing  the 
authority  of  Old  Hickory  beyond  a  doubt.  The  old 
camping-ground  of  General  Jackson  is  still  pointed 
out  as  historic  ground.  It  was  situated  on  what  was 
known  as  the  Blakely  Road,  which  passes  the  old 
sites  of  St.  Bernard  and  St.  Michael. 

Pensacola  once  contained  a  plaza,  which  was  an 
ornament  to  the  city  and  the  admiration  of  all  vis- 
itors. The  grounds  were  in  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, where  flourished  the  orange,  lemon,  olive, 
banana,  guava,  and  Japan  plum-trees,  ornamented 
with  pleasure-walks,  where  the  gay  cavaliers  prom- 
enaded and  made  love  to  the  beautiful  senoritas, 
where  the  delicate  nonpareil  displayed  her  painted 
plumage,  the  gay  mocking-bird  sang  her  songs  of 
joy,  and  the  humming-bird  sipped  honey  from  nec- 
tarine flowers,  whose  petals  perfumed  the  air  with 
fragrance.  But  stern  want,  whose  decrees  are  as 
unyielding  as  the  Medean  and  Persian  edicts,  was 
staring  the  Spanish  garrison  in  the  face  at  this  time, 
and  the  commissary  stores  being  exhausted,  the 
largest  portion  of  these  beautiful  grounds  were  sold 
to  furnish  the  army  with  supplies.  All  that  remain 
vacant  are  the  extremities  of  the  old  plaza,  which 
form  two  squares,  known  as  Ferdinand  and  Seville, 
that  are  as  barren  of  ornament  as  the  municipality 
of  means  to  appropriate  for  its  embellishment. 

It  is  singular  that  a  country  whose  original  settlers 

O  t/  O 

were  celebrated  for  their  chivalric  daring  and  ro- 
mance should  preserve  no  vestige  of  their  former 
characteristics  or  peculiar  nationalities.  It  is  thus 
with  the  present  appearance  of  Pensacola.  One 
16* 


362          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

portion  indicates  the  march  of  improvement,  while 
the  other,  near  the  bay,  has  a  faded  appearance  of 
weather-beaten  plank,  except  out  on  the  wharves, 
where  may  be  seen  many  new  buildings  used  for 
various  purposes  connected  with  shipping  opera- 
tions. There  are  no  fine  blocks  of  elegant  stores 
among  the  number,  but  many  one -story  houses, 
some  containing  two,  and  a  few  three. 

The  old  houses  now  standing  are  decidedly  of 
Spanish  architecture,  with  the  long  verandas  in 
front,  accessible  only  at  the  ends  by  steps,  the  jail- 
like  double  doors  being  made  of  wood,  riveted  with 
iron  bolts,  not  designed  to  look  beautiful,  but  to  be 
very  substantial,  or  resist  a  siege  of  small  arms. 
The  dormer-windows  are  frequent,  while  a  few  old 
roofs  are  covered  with  tiles.  A  wide,  substantial 
walk  is  built  through  a  portion  of  the  town,  stop- 
ping at  no  place  in  particular,  but  a  favorite  prom- 
enade for  ungallant  sailors,  where  they  reel  like 
drunken  elephants,  seven  abreast,  sometimes  elbow- 
ing other  pedestrians  into  the  marsh.  A  few  brick 
pavements  have  been  made,  but  the  bricks  present 
their  edges  and  ends  uppermost  as  often  as  the  flat 
sides,  while  sand-wading,  in  many  places,  is  the  onl}* 
alternative,  street-crossings  being  an  unknown  lux- 
ury. Pensacola  is  almost  the  only  town  in  Florida 
where  no  fabled  fount  is  supposed  or  represented  to 
exist,  whose  waters  heal  all  infirmities  and  rejuve- 
nate declining  years — where  no  tales  are  told  of  elys- 
ian  elegance  to  fascinate  visitors  into  their  houses  of 
entertainment,  or  invitations  given  to  take  strolls  on 
the  beach,  and  breathe  the  sea-air  with  its  breezy 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          363 

freshness,  always  warranted  more  beneficial  to  the 
invalid  than  all  other  atmospheres  that  ever  funned 
a  hectic  cheek,  or  had  been  inhaled  by  consump- 
tives, that  will  enable  them  to  recover  sooner  than 
any  other  influence  by  which  they  could  be  sur- 
rounded. The  principal  employment  of  persons 
here  is  maritime,  from  the  fisherman,  who  spreads 
his  tin}-  sail  and  dances  on  the  waves,  fearless  as  a 
sea-gull,  in  his  bateau  that  looks  only  a  speck  on 
the  waters  deep  and  wide,  to  the  full-rigged  ship 
which  plows  the  angry  waves,  and  "thrills  the  wan- 
derers of  that  trackless,  way."  The  prosperity  of 
this  place  is  dependent  upon  the  adventitious  con- 
dition of  the  changing  and  fluctuating  trade  in  other 
places,  together  with  a  demand  for  their  only  com- 
modity— lumber.  Xo  appearance  of  pomp  in  fine 
turnouts  is  seen — no  matched  spans  or  grand  phae- 
tons. Those  who  ride  go  in  one-horse  vehicles, 
which  move  noiseless  as  the  midnight  assassin, 
through  sandy  streets  of  an  uncertain  depth.  A 
majority  of  the  people  are  both  plain  and  practical 
in  all  their  movements.  Their  misfortunes  seem  to 
have  soured  them,  embittered  their  lives  and  sad- 
dened their  hearts,  making  them  sullen,  while  others 
converse  as  though  they  had  settled  into  an  apathetic 
despair,  mingled  with  clouds  of  darkness,  and  peo- 
pled by  phantoms  of  pinching  want.  This  season 
business  is  terribly  dull.  Stevedores  without  em- 
ployment arc  as  abundant  as  plank  without  purchas- 
ers, and  uneasy  as  a  mullet  out  of  water.  The  pro- 
fession of  gambling  is  well  filled,  which  can  be  seen 
by  the  glare  of  diamonds  and  watch-chains  on  sus- 


304          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

picious-looking  men,  with  no  vocation  but  to  come 
here  and  prey  on  the  hard  earnings  of  poor,  unsus- 
pecting sailors.  A  ship  coming  in  the  bay  creates 
as  much  commotion  as  a  big  wreck  in  Key  West. 
Unoccupied  boarding-houses  for  workingmen  are 
numerous.  "What  is  lacking  in  accommodations 
can  be  supplied  in  charges.  There  are  one  or  two 
boarding-houses,  called  hotels,  designed  for  the  bet- 
ter class,  charging  three  dollars  per  diem.  Visitors, 
or  persons  of  leisure,  do  not  often  come  here  to  re- 
main long,  consequently  no  grand  hotels  for  their 
entertainment.  But  there  is  one  attractive  feature 
in  Pensacola  even  now,  and  that  is  the  bountiful 
supply  of  rich  pine.  "  What  a  beautiful  fire!  "  we 
hear  every  one  exclaim,  as  the  boarders  take  their 
seats  in  the  recently-illumined  parlor  after  supper, 
when  all  without  is  dark  and  drear.  Then  they 
give  us  wood  in  our  rooms,  where  any  one  can 
make  a  fire  in  a  minute,  when  sickness  drives  away 
sleep.  How  it  lights  up  the  pale  faces  of  our  friends, 
as  though  the  glow  of  health  had  suddenly  wafted 
her  magic  touch  over  them,  dispelling  the  pallor  of 
disease  and  marks  of  suffering  !  IIo\v  it  softens  the 
gloom  of  night  and  diverts  our  minds  with  its  cheer- 
ful blaze,  as  it  permeates  even*  thing  like  the  visit 
of  a  bright  messenger,  when  the  winds  howl  as 
if  they  were  demons  from  the  realms  of  Erebus! 
What  a  cheerful  greeting  it  gives  us  from  the  old 
lire -place,  with  its  burnished  massive  fender  and 
brass  andirons  !  Then  it  flashes  and  faints  on  the 
wall,  or  in  the  corners,  hides  in  the  curtains,  to  be 
replaced  with  another  flash,  followed  by  a  report 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          CGo 

like  the  distant  roar  of  artillery.  The  Indians  loved 
to  dance  around  its  bright  light  in  celebrating  their 
fiendish  orgies,  or  howl  their  rude  songs  of  wel- 
come for  the  return  of  harvest,  as  the  well -filled 
ears  of  maize  roasted  before  their  camp-fires  of  res- 
inous wood.  With  what  lingering  looks  of  sadness 
did  they  see  the  last  spark  waft  its  tiny  ray  into  the 
heavens,  as  the  morning  dawned  and  the  night- 
shades fled  away,  on  which  they  were  to  bid  fare- 
well to  the  happ\*  home  of  their  birth  they  loved  so 
Avell,  and  relinquished  with  such  reluctance,  when 
they  thought  of  the  grand  old  lightwood  fires  which 
had  glistened  away  the  gloom  of  dense  forests,  or 
rendered  powerless  the  malaria  of  swamps,  and 
kept  the  approach  of  wild  beasts  at  bay ! 

All  day  constantly  before  our  eyes  is  Ferdinand 
Park,  which  manifests  visible  signs  of  a  decline. 
Four  old  Spanish  pieces  of  artillery  are  planted  in 
the  center,  and  fastened  with  ropes,  to  balance  the 
standard-bearer  of  a  powerful  nation,  and  place  in 
position,  high  in  mid-air,  a  pole,  on  which  to  un- 
furl the  ensign  of  a  great  country.  The  park- 
inclosure  is  dropping  down  as  quietly  as  a  rose-leaf 
in  May.  Here  stock  ramble  to  graze  with  their 
bells  on,  presenting  a  rural  landscape  of  rustic  life, 
and  tired,  bony  old  horses  stray  for  sustenance; 
hogs,  with  very  thin  sides  and  bristling  backs,  root 
about  for  herbage,  or  roam  through  the  streets, 
gathering,  with  eager  haste,  any  thing  like  a  de- 
cayed apple  or  potato,  of  which  some  kind-hearted 
huckster  has  relieved  his  stall  or  cart;  while  the 
cows  wander  in  front  of  dry-goods  stores,  trying  to 


366          Petals  Plucked  from  Sa'niiy  Climes. 

replenish  the  well- springs  of  vitality  with  stray 
wisps  of  straw,  bits  of  paper,  or  pasteboard,  which 
have  been  swept  out.  The  lacteals  of  tlie  poor 
brutes  receive  a  small  amount  of  sustenance  from 
such  an  uncertain  source  of  nutritive  matter — for 
that  cause  nearly  everybody  in  this  region  uses  con- 
densed milk.  The  William-goats  promenade  with 
unrestrained  freedom,  giving  concerts  with  their 
loud  treble  voices,  while  the  refrain  is  echoed  by 
the  young  ones,  resembling  the  cries  of  a  baby. 
If  these  sights  and  sounds,  with  variations,  do  not 
always  give  pleasure  to  visitors,  they  break  the  mo- 
notony and  furnish  a  variety. 

This  town  boasts  a  very  substantially-built  market- 
house,  the  material  used  being  brick.  Only  a  few  of 
the  stalls  are  occupied,  as  the  produce  is  hauled  about 
the  streets  in  huckster-carts  and  sold,  or  kept  in  stores 
by  provision-dealers.  During  the  lenten  season,  fish- 
ermen go  out  soon  in  the  morning,  and,  when  they 
are  successful,  return  singing,  by  which  means  those 
wishing  supplies  can  come  and  buy;  but  when  they 
have  taken  nothing,  they  row  silently  to  shore,  look- 
ing as  though  they  had  toiled  in  vain.  Sometimes 
the  fish  are  too  large  to  be  conveyed  whole,  when 
they  are  cut  up  and  sold  by  the  pound.  Frequently 
two  fishermen  are  seen  carrying  a  fish  suspended 
between  them,  a  portion  of  it  trailing  on  the  ground. 
What  a  triumphal  entry  they  make  !  What  a  proud 
look  they  have,  as  they  find  themselves  "the  ob- 
served of  all  observers!"  They  could  not  be  in- 
duced to  change  places  with  the  governor.  Smaller 
fish  are  carried  in  tubs,  swung  on  a  pole  suspended 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          367 

between  the  shoulders  of  two  very  brawny-looking 
men.  They  announce  their  approach  by  blowing  a 
lai'o-e  ox-horn,  which  is  heard  in  the  streets  on  Sab- 

o  * 

bath  as  other  days.  The  minister,  invoking  a  bless- 
ing on  his  worshiping  congregation,  is  liable  to  have 
the  interludes  filled  with  the  echo  of  trafficking  trum- 
pets. Common  fish  are  cheap.  The  pompano  and 
red  snapper,  being  the  choicest,  are  held  at  high 
prices.  Beef  and  venison  are  plentiful,  but  the 
beef  is'of  rather  a  sinuous  texture.  Most  vegeta- 
bles would  flourish  here  during  the  winter,  but, 
from  a  lack  of  enterprise,  they  are  not  much  culti- 
vated. The  only  dream  of  prosperity  ever  indulged 
by  these  people  is  ships  coming  in  from  foreign  parts 
for  lumber.  One  thousand  feet  from  low-water  mark 
in  Pensacola  Bay  is  found  fresh  water,  which  is  ob- 
tained by  boring  or  driving  iron  tubing  through  the 
salt  water  and  several  strata  of  earthy  deposit.  The 
upper  stratum  is  composed  of  sediment,  the  sec- 
ond of  quicksand,  the  third  of  blue  clay,  the  fourth 
of  coral,  the  fifth  of  gravel,  in  which  is  found  pure 
freestone  water,  unadulterated  with  foreign  matter, 
and  clear  as  crystal.  This  water  is  obtained  at  a 
distance  of  seventy  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  These  fresh -water  fountains  are  of  recent 
date,  having  made  their  appearance  among  other 
improvements  which  are  constantly  being  discov- 
ered in  this  progressive  age.  These  wells  possess 
many  advantages  over  the  old  custom  of  hauling 
water  from  the  springs  in  barrels  through  the 
streets  by  hand,  which  furnished  a  means  of  sup- 
port for  those  employed  to  deliver  water  on  the 


368          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

wharves  for  sale  to  ships,  it  being  their  only  voca- 
tion. The  barrel  was  prepared  by  inserting  a  piece 
of  wood  outside  the  head,  in  which  were  placed 
iron  pivots.  Two  iron  rings  were  attached  to  the 
end  of  a  rope  that  revolved  upon  these  pivots.  The 
water-hauler  threw  the  rope  over  his  head  and  shoul- 
ders, then  inarched  along  with  the  speed  of  an  An- 
dalusian  pony — the  barrel  following  like  a  cart.  A 
few  water-barrels  are  to  be  seen  rolling  about  the 
streets  now,  but  it  constitutes  only  a  precarious 
means  of  support  to  the  "drawers  of  water,"  when 
compared  with  the  past. 

Porpoises  —  belonging  to  the  class  Phoccena  — 
abound  in  the  vicinity  of  Pensacola.  They  range 
with  other  monsters  of  the  deep,  sporting  in  the 
shoals,  and  playing  around  vessels  anchored  near 
the  wharf,  at  times  approaching  the  shore  gentle  as 
cats.  They  are  said  to  take  their  prey  by  strategy, 
darting  under  an  unsuspecting  school  of  fish,  and 
with  one  stroke  of  their  tail  stunning  enough  to 

o  o 

furnish  them  a  fine  repast.  The  astonished  fish  is 
soon  swallowed  by  the  porpoise,  without  perceiving 
the  change  that  has  taken  place  in  his  existence, 
when,  instead  of  searching  for  nourishment  himself, 
he  has  commenced  to  sustain  another.  Porpoise-oil 
contains  the  same  properties  as  sperm,  but  porpoises 
are  not  killed  here,  they  being  very  harmless,  and  are 
said  to  act  as  a  protection  against  sharks  to  persons 
who  bathe  or  fall  in  the  bay. 

The  culture  of  tropical  fruits  has  never  been  a 
success  in  Pensacola,  since  so  much  of  the  timber 
has  been  destroved.  The  few  orange  -trees  here 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          369 

have  a  stinted  appearance  in  comparison  with  those 
in  other  portions  of  the  State.  A  constant  strife  is 
going  on  between  the  north-west  and  trade-winds, 
the  former  sweeping  down  from  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains, freighted  with  frost,  which  destroys  the  fruit 
and  foliage  of  the  orange-trees.  However,  a  suit- 
ably-arranged grove,  with  only  a  southern  exposure, 
would  bear  under  ordinary  treatment.  Persons  now 
owning  bearing-trees  say  they  have  been  killed  down 
three  or  four  times  The  winds  are  too  rude  for  the 
banana — it  grows  here  only  in  summer,  with  winter 
sheltering. 

A  little  stream,  called  the  "Washing  Bayou," 
winds  its  way  through  the  town,  gurgling  as  it 
rushes  among  the  bushes,  and  noiseless  as  the  flight 
of  an  arrow  when  it  glides  over  the  snowy  sands. 
Tiny  fishes  live  here  unmolested,  sporting  in  its 
clear  waters,  until  they  leave  the  quiet  home  of  their 
birth  and  go  into  the  great  sea,  where  many  of  them 
are  eaten  by  the  big  fishes  that  are  constantly  on  the 
alert.  Besides  the  poetry  in  this  musical  stream, 
there  is  much  practical  utility  connected  with  its 
presence,  as  it  subserves  the  purpose  of  city  laundry, 
where  most  of  the  soiled  clothes  are  cleansed.  More 
than  a  hundred  barefooted  women  can  be  seen  at 
one  time  here,  with  short  dresses,  standing  in  the 
water,  their  wide  tables  in  front  of  them,  battling 
with  unclean  linen.  After  the  garments  are  washed 
in  this  water,  which  is  said  to  possess  peculiar 
cleansing  properties,  they  are  spread  on  the  green 
grass  and  bleached.  No  ordinary  agitation  affects 
the  stream,  or  makes  the  waters  turbid,  while  it  re- 


370          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

mains  clear  and  warm  during  the  whole  winter. 
Here  Spanish,  French,  Creole,  and  L'Africane,  all 
combine  together,  working  in  harmony.  Patrons  to 
this  branch  of  industry  can  have  their  apparel  ma- 
nipulated in  such  language  as  they  prefer,  or  what- 
ever shade  of  color  belonging  to  the  human  species 
they  hold  in  the  highest  esteem.  Hunters  resort  to 
this  portion  of  the  country,  where  they  spend  weeks 
in  camping  and  killing  game.  Every  one  who  cornes 
to  Florida  imagines  the  supply  of  fish  and  flesh  in- 
exhaustible, notwithstanding  the  heavy  drafts  that 
are  made  every  year.  Complaint  was  made  by  the 
Indians  of  game  becoming  scarce  within  certain  lo- 
calities during  1835,  and  the  wonder  is  now  that  any 
thing  remains  to  be  killed. 

Ribaut,  while  describing  his  travels  in  this  State, 
mentions  the  waters  of  a  great  river  as  "  boiling  and 
roaring  through  the  multitudes  of  all  kinds  of  fish- 
es." Thoughtless  persons  having  heretofore  caused 
such  a  wanton  destruction  of  deer,  laws  have  now 
been  passed  for  their  protection.  The  method 
adopted  mostly  among  hunters  of  running  game 
with  hounds  until  exhausted,  has  a  tendency  to 
terrify  the  poor  scared  animals,  thus  making  them 
more  shy,  and  retire  farther  into  the  fastnesses  of  a 
country  to  a  place  of  greater  security.  Old  hunters 
say  they  would  just  as  soon  eat  a  piece  of  dog-meat 
as  deer  killed  when  overheated.  The  Indians  re- 
sorted usually  to  still-hunting,  taking  the  stag-heads 
and  hides  to  conceal  themselves,  and,  with  the  use 
of  their  imitative  powers,  induced  many  a  thought- 
less animal  to  approach  them,  when  the  well-aimed 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sanny  Climes.          371 

arrow  secured  the  victim  as  a  prize  to  their  skill. 
The  murderous  guns  now  in  use  will  soon  destroy 
all  the  wild  game  in  Florida,  as  in  other  old-settled 
places,  when  stories  of  the  nimble-footed  fawn,  that 
gamboled  with  the  calves  and  cattle  while  feeding 
side  by  side,  will  be  related  as  tales  of  the  past  his- 
tory of  this  country.  Several  times  since  Pensacola 
has  been  in  possession  of  the  United  States,  that 
malignant  form  of  disease  known  as  yellow  fever 
lias  made  it  some  unwelcome  visits.  During  1822  it 

o 

was  terribly  fatal,  taking  whole  families  and  streets. 
It  spread  at  this  time  like  wild-fire,  and  was  supposed 
to  have  originated  from  a  cargo  of  spoiled  cod-fish! 
In  1853,  1866,  1873,  and  1874,  it  returned.  Its  last 
appearance — in  1874 — took  them  all  by  surprise.  It 
commenced  in  August,  and  continued  until  Decem- 
ber. Different  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  its 
last  calamitous  visit  in  1874.  Some  say  it  was 
brought  from  Cuba;  others,  that  it  was  occasioned 
by  the  removal  of  a  hospital  from  the  navy -yard, 
where  yellow-fever  patients  had  been  sick.  It  was 
no  respecter  of  persons.  The  boatman  in  his  ba- 
teau, the  guard  at  his  post  of  duty,  the  soldier  on 
drill,  the  colonel  commanding,  or  the  commodore 
with  his  floating  navy,  all  yielded  to  the  fell  de- 
stroyer. Three  Sisters  of  Mercy  died  in  one  day, 
the  highest  number  of  deaths  during  the  space  of 
twenty-four  hours  in  the  city  being  ten.  Persons 
who  occupied  houses  that  had  been  closed  and  va- 
cant during  the  fever,  sickened  and  died  after  the 
disease  bad  subsided.  The  quarantine  regulations 
now  are  inefficient,  while  filth  from  every  street  and 


372          Petals  Flacked  from  Samnj  Climes. 

alley  lies  undisturbed,  thus  inviting  disease.  The 
municipal  authority  is  now  thoroughly  Africanized, 
consisting  of  mayor,  aldermen,  and  police  force, 
while  a  negro  postmaster  bears  unblushingly  the 
honors  and  emoluments  connected  with  his  position. 
Before  the  last  war  (1861)  many  orange  and  h'g-trees 
were  growing  in  private  yards;  but  the  Federal 
forces  destroyed  nearly  all  of  them,  together  with 
many  of  the  houses  and  fences.  The  squares — most 
of  them  —  are  now  grown  with  opopanax,  yapon, 
scrub,  and  live-oak,  while  the  twining  grape-vine, 
climbing  above  its  evergreen  foliage,  produces  a 
nearer  resemblance  to  hummocks  than  the  surround^ 
ino;s  of  civilization  which  characterize  refined  life. 

c^ 

Perdido,  or  Lost  Ba}-  (so  called  from  the  bar  at  its 
entrance  being  closed  by  quicksands),  is  thirty  miles 
in  length — the  main  tributary  of  this  bay  being  a 
river  of  the  same  name,  whose  banks  are  covered 
with  inexhaustible  pine  forests.  This  river  furnishes 
excellent  communication  with  Perdido  Bay,  upon 
which  are  built  several  fine  lumber-mills.  These 
mills  are  a  recent  enterprise,  having  been  in  opera- 
tion only  about  four  years,  thus  giving  employment 
to  many  operatives,  and  furnishing  an  article  of 
commerce  to  every  part  of  the  world.  During  the 
winter  of  1873  one  hundred  and  fifty  square-rigged 
vessels  could  be  counted  loading  with  lumber,  also 
spars  over  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  to  assist  in 
floating  ships  from  every  part  of  the  world.  Wild 
game  is  abundant  in  the  forests  about  Perdido  River, 
such  as  panthers,  deer,  black  bears,  wild  ducks,  and 
turkeys. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         373 

Escanibia  Bay  is  another  of  the  beautiful  sheets 
of  water  by  which  Pensacola  is  surrounded.  It  is 
eleven  miles  in  length,  and  four  in  width.  It  has  a 
tributary  of  the  same  name,  which  courses  through 
rich  hummock-lands,  until  it  reaches  the  clear  wa- 
ters of  the  bay.  The  lagoons  and  marshes  that 
lie  near  this  river  abound  in  the  remarkable  am- 
phibious animals  called  alligators.  The  roaring  of 
these  creatures  in  spring-time  is  deafening.  Thev 

I  O  O  */ 

are  of  slow  growth,  but  eventually  attain  an  im- 
mense size — a  full-grown  one  being  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  in  length,  with  an  upper  jaw,  which  moves, 
three  feet  long,  the  lower  jaw  remaining  stationary. 
Their  skin  is  impenetrable  to  a  ball,  the  whote  body 
being  covered  with  a  kind  of  horny  plates,  but  the 
head  and  under  the  fore-legs  is  vulnerable,  and  not 
bullet-proof.  They  build  nests  in  the  form  of  a 
cone,  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  five  feet  at  the 
base.  They  commence  these  nests  by  making  a 
floor  upon  which  they  deposit  a  layer  of  eggs,  then 
a  stratum  of  mortar,  seven  or  eight  inches  in  thick- 
ness, then  another  layer  of  eggs,  until  the  whole, 
superstructure  is  completed.  They  are  said  to  de- 
posit over  one  hundred  eggs  in  a  nest.  These  are 
hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  together  with  the 
fermentation  of  vegetable  matter  produced  in  the 
hillock.  The  mother-alligator  watches  near  during 
the  period  of  incubation,  and  has  been  known  to 
attack  persons  who  interrupted  her  embryo.  When 
her  young  are  hatched  she  marches  them  out  like  a 
lien  with  her  brood,  leading  and  protecting  them, 
while  they  whine  and  bark  around  her  like  young 


374          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

puppies.  Their  mother  belongs  to  the  cannibal  spe- 
cies, eating  up  her  young  in  their  babyhood,  which 
precludes  but  few  of  them  attaining  their  full  size. 
The}*  move  rapidly  in  water,  although  clumsy  on 
land,  wallowing  in  mud-holes  like  a  hog. 

There  are  five  churches  in  Pensacola  for  public 
worship — Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Roman 
Catholic,  and  Protestant  Episcopal.  No  other  town 
in  the  State  can  produce  so  large  a  number  of  old 
members  as  the  Catholics  in  Pensacola.  During  the 
early  history  of  this  country  the  devotees  of  this  faith 
made  pilgrimages  to  the  Convent  of  St.  Helena,  a 
religious  order  established  by  the  Franciscan  Friars. 
They  Spent  weeks  in  performing  the  journey  to  St. 
Helena,  in  St.  Augustine.  It  was  to  them  what  Je- 
rusalem was  to  the  Jews,  or  Mecca  to  the  Moham- 
medans—  their  holy  city,  their  revered  shrine  for 
worship,  where  the  "Ego  te  absolvo"  gave  solace  to 
the  troubled  conscience,  and  comfort  to  the  sin-bur- 
dened heart. 

The  demand  for  schools  in  the  Pensacola  market 
has  hitherto  been  limited;  consequently  the  quality 
is  not  always  of  a  superior  kind.  The  free  schools 
are  avoided  by  all  who  can  do  better.  They  are 
now  under  the  supervision  of  George  W.  Lindsley, 
county  superintendent.  He  belongs  to  the  African 
class  of  humanity,  and  acquired  his  education  while 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  body- servant  to  Judge 
Plantz,  of  the  First  Judicial  Circuit  of  the  State  of 
Florida.  Four  schools  are  supported  here  by  the 
public  fund — two  for  each  sex  and  color.  The  one 
for  white  boys  is  taught  by  an  old  man  who  has  evi- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          375 

dently  lost  his  temper  and  outlived  his  days  of  use- 
fulness as  an  instructor.  His  pupils  looked  spirit- 
less and  indifferent  to  any  thing  like  mental  effort. 
They  recited  badly,  and  appeared  stupid.  The  fe- 
male department  is  taught  by  a  lady  of  youthful 
and  humble  appearance.  The  timid  little  girls  came 
to  recite  with  the  admonition,  "Now,  if  you  don't 
know  this  lesson,  I  will  switch  you."  Numerous 
rods  were  lying  about  the  floor,  as  though  warfare 
had  been  progressing,  with  weapons  of  very  ancient 
date,  recommended  by  Solomon.  The  rooms  occu- 
pied for  the  schools  are  two  apartments  in  an  old 
private  residence,  the  building  in  about  as  waning 
a  condition  as  the  popularity  of  the  institutions. 
Fift}T  children,  all  told,  comprise  the  number  in  this 
metamorphic  condition.  The  citizens  say  they  are 
taxed  beyond  endurance  to  support  schools,  but 
never  know  what  becomes  of  the  money.  Perhaps 
they  never  try  to  ascertain  in  the  right  place,  or  at 
the  proper  time,  what  disposition  is  made  of  the 
funds.  Two  colored  schools  here  are  supported  by 
the  public  funds.  The  building  in  which  they  are 
are  taught  was  erected  for  the  purpose — light,  airy, 
and  roomy — more  provision  being  made  for  the  ed- 
ucation of  the  colored  race,  all  over  the  State  of 
Florida,  than  for  the  white.  The  great  difficulty 
now  is  to  have  the  negroes  brought  up  to  the  stand- 
ard of  appreciation.  Only  a  few  can  be  prevailed 
upon  to  attend  the  schools  provided  for  them,  and 
they  belong  mostly  to  a  class  of  numskulls  whose 
heads  are  so  thick  that  an  idea  could  not  get  into 
their  brains  unless  it  was  shot  there  with  bullet- 


370          Petals  Plucked  from  tiitnny  Climes. 

force.  Both  the  male  and  female  schools  have  col- 
ored teachers.  The  copy-books  were  handed  me  for 
inspection.  Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  copies: 
"Virtue  is  the  persute,"  etc.;  "Do  a  good  child 
tell  stories?"  The  chirography  was  unmistakably 
original  and  inimitable,  but  the  spelling  was  not 
from  Webster,  nor  the  grammar  of  Butler's  ap- 
proval. The  pupils  were  in  tolerable  order  —  the 
secret  of  which,  no  doubt,  lay  on  the  table,  in  the 
form  of  a  huge  leather  strap — that  relic  of  barba- 
rism revived — and  a  piece  of  plank  for  the  more  in- 
corrigible cases. 

The  Catholics  have  two  separate  schools  for  the 
education  of  males  and  females,  besides  a  mixed 
school  for  colored  children.  The  female  school,  con- 
taining about  sixty  pupils,  is  under  the  direction  of 
the  Dominican  sisterhood.  The  children  all  arose 
and  bowed  politely  when  I  visited  them;  but  no  op- 
portunity was  offered  for  ascertaining  their  method 
of  teaching,  or  the  proficiency  of  the  young  ladies, 
although  I  politely  asked  to  hear  them  recite.  These 
wimpled  teachers  veil  their  movements  also.  The 
Catholic  school  for  boys  is  under  the  tutorage  of  an 
old  gentleman  of  the  Irish  style,  whose  looks  re- 
semble the  description  given  by  Goldsmith  of  the 
"village  school-master."  The  children  were  talk- 
ing aloud,  caricaturing  on  slates,  and  exhibiting  it 
to  their  companions,  whistling,  and  shaking  their 
fists  behind  the  teacher's  back,  these  employments 
being  the  principal  exercises  during  my  visit.  The 
teacher  was  energetic  in  his  efforts  to  preserve  order 
and  hear  the  recitation.  He  placed  one  offender  on 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          377 

his  knees  for  penance,  and  struck  some  more  of 
them  with  an  immense  ferule  which  Hk  carried  in 
his  hand.  When  the  din  and  confusion  drowned 
his  voice,  he  resorted  to  jingling  a  bell  and  scream- 
ing "Silence!"  He  evidently  had  a  bigger  contract 
than  he  knew  how  to  manage.  The  Pensacola  boys 
are  said  to  be  very  bad,  whether  from  association  or 
the  original  sin  born  in  them,  has  not  been  decided 
— probably  a  combination  of  both. 

Let  no  one  imagine  that  in  all  this  dross  there  is 
no  pure  gold.  Mrs.  Scott,  wife  of  the  present  rector 
of  Christ  Church,  teaches  a  parochial  school,  patron- 
ized by  all,  irrespective  of  creeds  or  forms  of  wor- 
ship, being  always  open  to  inspection  for  the  friends 
of  education.  The  pupils  exhibited  a  thoroughly 
progressive  knowledge  of  all  the  branches  which 
they  were  studying.  This  school  is  governed  by  a 
direct  appeal  to  the  elevating  and  moral  qualities  of 
the  heart  and  soul,  which  lead  the  mind  upward, 
thus  restraining  their  natural  impulses.  The  pupils 
evinced  a  surprising  familiarity  with  blank  verse,  by 
transposing  and  parsing  lines  from  Paradise  Lost — 
the  work  of  that  colossal  mind  whose  soul,  illumined 
with  inward  light,  soared  beyond  the  star-lit  domes 
of  space,  to  commune  with  chaos  and  the  great  mys- 
teries of  its  unrevealed  depths. 
17 


378          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

O  walk  upon  the  beach  and  see  the  bright 
golden  waves  rolling  beneath  our  feet  on 
a  sunny  day,  and  hear  the  gentle  surge 
moving  like  the  soft  cadence  of  dying 
echoes,  creates  in  us  a  desire  to  be  wafted 
into  other  climes,  where  we  can  see  untold  won- 
ders, and  be  regaled  with  something  new  to  feast 
our  senses.  It  was  from  the  promptings  of  a  rest- 
less spirit  that  we  embarked  on  a  tine  sailing  vessel 
for  Cuba  as  the  morning  tide  was  receding.  An 
escort  of  sea-gulls,  with  their  white  pinions  and  un- 
wearied wings,  followed  us  far  from  land,  as  messen- 
gers of  peace,  wishing  us  a  bon  voyage. 

We  soon  commenced  to  feel  contented  in  our  iso- 
lated moving  habitation,  with  its  strong  canvas  buoy- 
ing us  up  in  the  breeze,  like  a  huge  bird  of  passage 
in  its  aerial  flight,  and  we  looked  out  on  the  "  waste 
of  waters"  as  only  an  untried  experiment,  about 
which  very  fearful  things  had  been  said,  but  not  so 
bad  after  all.  While  we  were  watching  for  new 
wonders,  the  sun  sunk  into  the  sea,  and  the  stars 
came  out  one  by  one  from  their  canopied  homes  in 
the  blue  sky,  the  larger,  brighter  ones  rising  first, 
like  the  stronger  spirits  in  life,  which  leave  their 
beds  with  the  dawn,  to  make  preparation  for  the 
feebler  little  footsteps  that  now  open  their  eyes  tim- 


PORTUGUKSK    M  A  V-OK-WA  II 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          379 

idly  on  the  great  world  into  whose  magnitude  and 
mysteries  they  are  just  entering.  The  monotony 
of  a  sea- voyage  is  always  broken  by  the  daily  revo- 
lutions of  the  earth  on  its  axis,  if  not  more  stirring 
events.  Our  second  morning  at  sea  the  winds  and 
waves  were  hushed  quietly  as  the  calm  which  per- 
vades a  sinner's  sensibilities  when  the  angel  of  peace 
first  speaks  comfort  to  his  sin-burdened  soul.  Our 
sails  hang  loosely  as  a  gambler's  conscience,  while 
the  surge  swings  us  around  freely  without  taking 
us  forward.  The  spars  squeak,  twist,  and  groan,  as 
though  in  distress  at  our  condition.  The  sailors  are 
busy  t3'ing  up  ropes,  mending  sails,  and  climbing 
about  in  the  rigging  like  cats.  A  kind  of  sea- 
polyp,  Physalia  utriculus,  or  Portuguese  men-of-war, 
which  move  passively  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
have  been  in  sight  all  day,  with  their  bubble  sails 
of  rainbow  hue,  supported  by  emerald  hulls,  with 
their  anchors  steadying  them  in  their  swift,  uncer- 
tain voyage  over  the  sea.  How  fragile  and  ethereal 
they  look !  These  little  creatures  only  trim  their 
sails  in  fine  weather,  but  when  the  wind  blows  they 
descend  into  more  quiet  quarters.  The  sailors  look 
with  suspicion  upon  their  movements,  as  they  say 
their  appearance  indicates  foul  weather.  They  pre- 
sent a  concave  surface  above  the  water  of  three  or 
four  inches  that  is  guided  by  purple  rudder-bands, 
which  descend  about  two  feet  into  the  sea.  These 
filaments  are  very  poisonous  when  handled  —  the 
sailors,  while  in  bathing,  being  sometimes  stung  by 
them,  which  is  accompanied  with  a  very  painful 
burning  sensation,  like  the  nettle.  They  may  be 


380          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

classed  among  the  many  other  curious  and  wonder- 
ful beings  that  inhabit  the  great  deep,  of  which  we 
know  but  little  or  nothing. 

The  old  tars  have  been  singing  to-day, 

Mackerel  skies  and  mares'  tails 
Make  lofty  ships  take  in  their  sails. 

Last  night,  as  we  were  retiring,  the  sky  was  bank- 
ing up  black  clouds,  which  indicates  a  nor'-wester. 
Now,  when  we  look  across  the  crested  surface  of 
the  deep,  dark  sea,  our  thoughts  are  too  sacred  for 
bosom -confidants,  and  too  serious  to  bear  much 
sounding  by  ourselves,  being  shadowed  by  forebod- 
ings, not  unmixed  with  melancholy,  when  we  think 
on  the  fate  of  many  who  have  sailed  before  us.  Our 
rough  old  captain,  who  commences  his  day's  duties 
before  sunrise  by  giving  the  steward  a  cursing  for 
what  he  has  done  or  left  undone,  as  a  kind  of  recre- 
ation when  he  is  drinking  his  coffee,  has  been  giv- 
ing his  oracle,  the  barometer,  some  mysterious  looks 
all  day. 

The  sun  has  gone  to  her  home  in  the  west,  and 
we  now  feel  that  a  night  of  darkness — it  may  be 
destruction — has  drawn  her  deepest  shadows  over 
us.  The  wind  is  blowing  a  gale,  above  which  is 
heard  at  the  wheel  aft  the  same  cross  old  captain 
screaming  his  orders  through  the  storm -trumpet, 
which  sound  dismal  as  death:  "Lower  the  fore- 
sail!" "Take  down  the  topsails!"  "Put  out  a 
watch!"  "Let  her  drive  before  the  wind!"  Old 
Neptune  has  commenced  his  fearful  frolics  in  ear- 
nest, rolling  the  white  caps  in  every  direction.  The 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          381 

vessel  has  commenced  plunging  through  a  trackless 
pathway,  while  the  sea  boils  like  a  pot. 

And  whistling  o'er  the  bending  mast, 
Loud  sings  the  fresh' n ing  blast. 

It  is  when  messengers  from  the  realms  of  King  Storm, 
are  abroad  in  the  land — when  the  sea  rises  at  his  call, 
and  the  winds  meet  from  their  hidden  coverts,  to  ex- 
ercise their  strength  and  contend  for  victory — that 
the  poetry  of  sailing  on  deep  water  vanishes,  and 
we  look  stern  realit}'  in  the  face,  and  feel  the  dan- 
ger of  being  swallowed  up,  which  overbalances  all 
the  adventurous  spirit  for  sight-seeing. 

The  tempest  which  was  now  shrieking  and  howl- 
ing in  its  fury  bore  no  resemblance  to  any  thing  dis- 
agreeable enough  b}-  which  a  comparison  could  be 
made,  except  falling  clods  upon  the  coffin  of  an  only 
friend  and  protector,  or  the  click  of  a  pistol  that 
sends  a  soul  into  eternity.  In  imagination  I  could 
henr  the  gnashing  teeth  of  fighting  fiends,  in  real- 
ity the  roaring  thunders,  threatening  with  their  stun- 
ning proximity,  while  torrents  of  water  wrere  de- 
scending— thus  bringing  a  yawning  abyss  before  us 
under  circumstances  of  appalling  nearness,  when 
the  sea,  in  its  fiercest  moments  of  fury,  has  often 
plunged  the  ship  and  mariners  into  an  open  chasm, 
with  cold,  cruel  waves  for  a  winding-sheet,  while  the 
winds  sung  a  requiem.  It  was  an  epoch  in  the  his- 
tory of  my  life,  when  I  felt  my  grasp  upon  tangible 
substance  weakening,  and  at  any  moment  that  I 
might  be  hurled  into  that  shoreless,  fathomless 
depth,  from  whose  uncertain  soundings  and  unex- 
plored domains  there  would  be  no  return.  As  the 


382          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

wind  increased  the  sea  commenced  washing  over 
decks,  which  movement  would  not  be  mistaken 
for  purling  streams  meandering  through  green 
lawns  and  "  flowery  meads."  The  pantry  contrib- 
uted its  share  to  the  general  din — the  plates  all  fall- 
ing down,  the  tumblers,  cups,  and  bowls,  never  ceas- 
ing to  roll  over — at  the  same  instant  a  big  wave  com- 
ing in  washed  the  tinware  from  the  galley,  while  the 
cook-stove,  with  its  legs  nailed  fast  to  the  floor,  re- 
mained a  mute  spectator.  The  chairs  gathered  in 
groups  and  skated  across  the  oil-cloth  at  each  lurch 
of  the  vessel.  Nothing  revealed  those  terrible 
troughs  in  the  sea  before  us  but  the  vivid  light- 
ning, which  also  enabled  the  sailors  to  see  the 
spars,  and  keep  a  portion  of  the  sails  reefed.  The 
deep  waters  resembled  liquid  mountains  piled  in 
pyramidal  forms,  dissolving  like  dew  with  every 
wrind  that  passed,  at  which  we  were  not  dismayed 
while  the  vessel  could  leap  over  them.  Meanwhile 
there  came  a  heavy  sea  that  shipped  down  the  gang- 
way and  commenced  washing  out  the  cabin — at  the 
same  instant  a  gust  extinguished  the  binnacle  lamp. 
As  a  precautionary  movement,  to  keep  the  mast 
from  being  jerked  out,  the  foresheet  was  secured. 
The  beating  billows,  rattling  chains,  and  inky  dark- 
ness, combined,  were  suggestive  of  a  passage  con- 
tained in  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  where  the  fallen  spirits 
are  spoken  of  as  "  reserved  in  everlasting  chains  un- 
der darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day." 
The  hour  of  midnight,  when  the  clock  shall  have 
struck  twelve,  is  looked  for  with  much  solicitude 
during  a  gale.  How  the  men  worked  !  How  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          383 

pumps  groaned  !  Our  vessel  was  only  a  toy  with 
which  the  waves  were  playing  as  a  pastime,  whose 
angry  waves  we  were  willing  to  appease  by  a  prom- 
ise that  we  would  come  no  more,  if  only  spared  from 
a  dive  beneath  their  surface.  Storms  and  adversity 
are  both  great  levelers  in  life.  How  all  social  bar- 
riers of  distinction  vanish  as  we  feel  our  dependence 
upon  the  roughest  tar  that  climbs  the  mast  at  sea, 
or  rolls  like  a  swine  in  the  gutter  on  shore !  With 
what  eagerness  we  notice  every  movement  of  the 
officers  in  times  of  peril,  and  listen  for  their  foot- 
fall on  deck,  or  the  rustle  of  their  rough-weather 
tarpaulins,  as  they  walk  through  the  cabin,  watch- 
ing to  see  that  fire  does  not  break  out  from  the 
lamps,  or  spontaneous  combustion  take  place  in  the 
hold,  which  then  severs  the  last  gleam  of  hope,  ex- 
cept that  which  awaits  us  beyond  a  grave  in  the 
sea  when  we  sink  beneath  the  waves,  where  all  is 
peace!  While  we  are  certain  a  commander,  in 
times  of  danger,  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  save  the 
lives  of  those  on  board,  is  it  not  then  we  should  lean 
on  that  One  all-powerful  to  aid,  and  feel  for  the  Hand 
"  that  holds  the  waters  in  its  hollow?  "  A  little  after 
midnight  the  captain,  worn  out  with  his  duties,  "  had 
turned  in."  The  winds  seemed  to  lull,  and  except 
very  heavy  seas,  a  fair  prospect  of  peace  overshad- 
owed us.  However,  we  soon  afterward  found  we 
had  been  nursing  a  delusion,  as  a  little  before  2  A.M. 
the  breeze  freshened ;  it  came  in  gusts,  increas- 
ing in  severity,  and  the  vessel  becoming  unman- 
ageable, the  captain  was  called  on  deck,  while 
the  mate  rushed  forward  to  take  in  sail.  He  had 


884          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

proceeded  but  a  short  distance  when  a  heavy  sea 
struck  the  ship,  and  the  bow-hatches  were  five  feet 
under  water,  with  the  mate  swimming  against  Ihe 
deck -railings,  and  the  trumpet -toned  commands 
issued  to  a  powerless  crew.  It  was  a  fearful  mo- 
ment, never  to  be  forgotten  in  the  history  of  a  life- 
time, when  all  hopes,  joys,  sorrows,  and  past  recol- 
lections, are  merged  into  an  instant  of  time,  to  be 
swept  away  by  a  breath. 

A  little  after  daybreak  we  sighted  an  English  ves- 
sel on  her  course  for  South  America.  She  sailed 
swiftly,  never  stopping  to  tell  us  the  danger  she  had 
passed,  as  a  chopped  sea  was  running,  which  denoted 
the  expiring  struggle  through  which  it  was  passing 
in  trying  to  calm  its  fury.  The  sun  rose  at  last,  and 
our  rent  sails  were  all  that  told  the  perils  we  had 
encountered;  for  the  same  Voice  that  could  com- 
mand "the  winds  and  the  sea"  to  obey  was  with 
us,  and  we  were  saved. 

About  midday  we  passed  the  Isle  of  Pines,  whose 
proximity  our  quadrant  indicated  before  we  saw  it. 
In  making  for  the  south  side  of  Cuba,  this  land  is 
all  we  see  during  the  passage.  It  is  said  rain  falls 
here  when  the  weather  is  pleasant  in  every  other 
place — to  which  is  attributable  its  unusual  appear- 
ance of  verdure  and  its  fine  streams  of  fresh  water, 
which  first  attracted  the  attention  of  the  early  Span- 
ish settlers.  The  large  amount  of  rain  which  falls 
here  is  accounted  for  by  the  trade-winds  in  these 
seas  blowing  from  the  north-east.  Marble  and  jas- 
per of  various  colors  are  found  on  this  island.  It 
was  formerly  frequented  by  pirates,  the  last  of  whom 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          385 

was  Bernardo  del  Soto,  who  was  a  Spaniard,  and 
commanded  the  band.  They  named  their  cruising- 
ship  the  "Pinta,"  which  in  Spanish  implies  a  point. 
Their  closing  exploit  was  robbing  and  destroying 
the  brig  Mexican,  near  Cape  San  Antonio.  All  the 
crew  were  murdered  except  two,  who  were  spared 
on  condition  they  would  join  the  pirates.  These 
two  unfortunate  survivors  afterward  escaped  to  the 
United  States,  when  they  gave  information  in  re- 
gard to  their  companions  who  had  been  so  cruelly 
murdered,  and  also  the  rendezvous  of  these  high- 
sea  pirates,  which  led  to  their  capture  by  the  brig 
Summers.  The  buccaneers  were  taken  to  Boston, 
and  tried  for  murder,  of  which  they  were  all  con- 
victed and  executed,  except  the  commander,  whose 
wife  came  from  Cuba  and  interceded  with  President 
Van  Buren,  that  the  life  of  her  husband  might  be 
spared.  Her  entreaties  were  not  unavailing,  and 
his  existence  was  prolonged,  only  to  reward  her  so- 
licitude by  murdering  her  in  a  6t  of  passion,  for 
which  crime  he  soon  atoned  with  his  life. 

Mexican  Gulf. — Soon  after  dinner  we  noticed  an 
unusual  appearance  in  the  sky,  like  fog  and  mist. 
The  sailors,  with  a  terrified  look,  were  standing  in  a 
group  together  on  deck,  while  the  captain  took  the 
helm.  A  storm  on  ship-board,  strange  as  it  may  ap- 
pear, develops  more  profanity  than  reverence  among 
sailors;  but  water-spouts  are  something  with  which 
they  never  presume  to  trifle.  Two  of  these  were 
plainly  visible.  One  passed  aft  the  vessel,  missing 
it  about  fifteen  feet;  the  other  presented  a  most  pe- 
culiar phenomenon,  which  is  said  to  be  caused  by 
17* 


386          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

the  reciprocal  attraction  of  the  cloud  above  and  the 
sea  beneath.  The  water  rises  toward  the  cloud, 
which  elongates  itself  in  the  form  of  a  tube  to  meet 
and  receive  the  fluid  below — this  ascending  column 
resembling  in  form  a  speaking-trumpet,  with  its 
base  uppermost.  They  were  called  presters  by  the 
ancients,  which  word  in  the  Greek  denotes  an  igne- 
ous fluid  —  the  more  singular  on  account  of  those 
who  applied  the  term  having  no  knowledge  of  elec- 
tricity. These  terrible  missiles  of  destruction  often 
annihilate  every  thing  in  their  pathwa}7,  although 
only  a  few  drops  of  water  reached  us  from  these. 
They  are  fearful  objects,  unlike  most  others  which 
come  clothed  in  darkness,  they  being  only  veiled  in 
thin  mist,  rising  like  a  mysterious  presence  from  the 
depths  of  the  sea  to  join  the  forces  in  the  air,  thus 
making  the  combined  influences  doubly  formida- 
ble. The  ship  had  been  tacked  to  port  side  just  as 
the  water-spouts  had  been  discovered,  and  we  were 
sailing  southward  away  from  them.  They  may  be 
properly  termed  "sea-cyclones,  carrying  up  drops  of 
water  which  they  have  separated  from  the  surface 
of  the  waves."  The  beauty,  terror,  and  grandeur 
accompanying  these  visitants  can  never  be  imagined 
by  one  who  has  not  witnessed  them,  much  less  defi- 
nitely described  by  a  terrified  spectator.  The  sun 
shone  brightly  during  the  time,  as  though  the  storm- 
fiend  was  not  abroad  in  his  chariot,  riding  swiftly  on 
wings  of  wind,  ready  to  hurl  the  missiles  of  death  at 
any  hapless  mariner  who  crossed  its  pathway.  Ever 
shall  I  remember  how  utterly  undone  those  poor 
sin-hardened,  rough  sailors  appeared  while  waiting 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          387 

for  orders  that  would  give  expression  to  their  feel- 
ings, no  words  coming  from  those  uncultured  lips 
which  could  furnish  any  conception  of  their  mental 
agitation. 

Cuba,  February  28. — The  most  precious  jewel  of 
the  Antilles  is  the  Isle  of  Cuba,  which  we  are  now 
approaching.  It  is  about  seven  hundred  and  ninety 
miles  in  length,  its  greatest  width  being  one  hundred 
and  seven  miles.  The  mountains  add  beauty  and 
boldness  to  its  scenery,  the  highest  elevation  on  the 
island  being  about  eight  thousand  feet.  It  was  first 
discovered  by  the  famous  Columbus,  in  1492,  but 
not  conquered  from  the  Indians  until  1511,  at  which 
time  the  Spaniards  killed  nearly  five  hundred  thou- 
sand of  the  natives.  From  the  following  well-au- 

o 

thenticated  account  we  may  be  enabled  to  form 
some  idea  of  the  barbarity  which  characterized 
these  movements:  "One  morning,  as  the  Spaniards 
were  tying  an  Indian  cazique  to  the  stake  for  the 
purpose  of  burning  him  alive,  a  Franciscan  Friar 
approached,  and  informed  him  that  if  he  would  em- 
brace their  religion  he  should  go  to  heaven,  but  if 
not  he  must  burn  in  hell  forever.  The  prince  then 
asked  him  if  there  were  any  Spaniards  in  heaven. 
The  friar  responded  in  the  affirmative — to  which  he 
replied,  'If  that  be  so,  I  would  rather  be  with  the 
demons  in  hell  than  the  Spaniards  in  heaven;  for 
their  cruelty  is  such  that  none  can  be  more  misera- 
ble than  where  they  are.'  "  The  cause  of  the  Indians 
being  so  cruelly  destroyed  by  the  Spaniards  was 
their  covetous  wish  to  possess  the  entire  island,  with 
its  supposed  wealth  in  silver  and  gold.  Unfortu- 


388          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

nately,  after  they  had  murdered  the  Indians,  their 
visionary  dreams  of  vast  fortunes  were  never  real- 
ized, as  very  little  precious  metal  was  discovered, 
which  many  have  supposed  was  a  judgment  on  them 
for  their  cruelty. 

The  soil  in  Cuba  is  itself  a  mine  of  wealth,  on 
which  can  he  produced  from  five  to  seven  crops 
yearly,  spring-time  and  harvest  continuing  all  the 
season.  There  are  mines  of  copper  ore  here,  from 
which  the  early  settlers  made  their  cannon. 

About  two  hundred  miles  from  Cape  San  Antonio 
Light,  upon  the  south  side  of  Cuba,  is  an  entrance 
called  Fernandina  Del  Jauga  Bay,  the  coast  being 
lined  with  rocks  of  a  coral  formation.  Ten  miles 
from  the  Mexican  Gulf,  at  the  head  of  this  bay,  sur- 
rounded by  a  country  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  is  the 
city  of  Cienfuegos,  named  in  honor  of  the  general 
to  whom  its  present  prosperity  is  in  a  great  measure 
attributable.  The  fort  which  guards  the  entrance  to 
this  town  impresses  us  with  its  entire  inefficiency  to 
resist  an  attack  from  our  modernized  implements  of 
warfare,  or  to  even  make  a  show  of  strength  for  any 
length  of  time  during  a  sie^e.  One  lone  sentinel 

o  o  o 

rushes  upon  the  parapet,  and  presents  arms,  when  a 
vessel  approaches,  as  though  he  had  a  hundred- 
pound  ball,  which  could  be  sent  with  sufficient  force 
to  sink  any  ship  that  should  make  an  attempt  to 
enter  the  port.  The  harbor  upon  which  the  town 
is  situated  is  commodious  and  safe.  Two  gun-boats 
are  anchored  here,  which,  judging  from  their  shape 
and  size,  look  as  though  they  would  require  assist- 
ance to  advance,  but  are  said  to  make  six  miles  an 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          389 

hour  when  under  full  headway.  They  are  not  re- 
garded as  formidable  by  military  men.  The  report 
from  the  guns  would,  no  doubt,  be  more  demoral- 
izing than  the  efl'ect.  The  houses  in  the  citv  are 

>      " 

built  mostly  of  brick  and  concrete.  They  have  no 
yards  in  front,  the  walls  of  the  residences  being 
even  with  the  streets,  only  a  narrow  sidewalk  some- 
times intervening.  The  buildings  are  painted  bine 
or  green,  straw-color,  and  white — the  doors  being 
differently  colored  from  the  houses.  The  windows 
have  no  glass,  as  it  would  make  the  dwellings 
warmer,  and  the  ladies  could  not  look  from  the 
folds  of  their  curtains  into  the  streets  so  easily  with- 
out being  seen  as  they  do  now.  The  windows  are 
protected  by  iron  rods  and  bars,  which  give  them  a 
cage-like  appearance — the  houses  have  no  chimneys 
or  fire-places,  and  the  apartments  are  furnished  in  a 
very  simple  manner.  The  floors  are  made  of  marble 
and  tiles — the  carpet  is  only  a  large  rug  in  the  center 
of  the  room,  upon  each  side  of  which  are  placed  two 
rows  of  chairs,  most  of  them  being  willow-work  rock- 
ing-chairs; also  a  center-table  and  sofa,  with  a  willow 
back  and  seat,  sometimes  a  piano,  embrace  the  list 
of  parlor  fixtures.  At  night  the  doora  and  windows 
are  thrown  open  for  ventilation,  the  rooms  being 
lighted  by  gas  chandeliers — every  thing  can  be  seen, 
even  to  the  beds  on  which  the  family  sleep.  The 
bedsteads  are  mude  of  iron,  and  are  very  light,  upon 
which  is  placed  a  wooden  frame  with  a  piece  of  can- 
vas tacked  across  it.  There  are  no  mattresses  or 
feather-beds  used.  A  sheet  of  Canton-flannel  is  the 
first  appearance  of  bedding,  over  which  are  spread 


390          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

linen  sheets  of  snowy  whiteness,  pillows  filled  with 
cotton  or  moss  —  the  whole  being  overhung  with 
pink  and  white-lace  curtains,  to  keep  out  the  mus- 
quitoes,  that  never  leave  on  account  of  climatic 
changes.  But  few  of  the  dwellings  are  more  than 
one  story  high.  If  the  ancient  Spanish  custom 
were  to  be  observed  here — that  the  rent  of  the  first 
floor  was  for  the  king — there  would  be  no  income 
left  to  the  owners.  Many  of  these  structures  have 
ceilings  twenty  feet  in  height.  They  build  them 
as  airy  as  possible,  and  afterward  dedicate  them 
to  the  god  of  the  winds,  whose  presence  is  many 
times  oftener  invoked  than  received.  However, 
the  land-breeze  at  night,  and  the  sea-breeze  dur- 
ing the  day,  render  the  climate  more  delightful 
than  can  be  imagined  by  one  who  has  never  vis- 
ited here.  In  this  locality  days  and  weeks  steal 
imperceptibly  away,  leaving  no  visible  impress  ex- 
cept a  feeling  of  repose,  as  though  earth  had  no 
cares  or  pains  which  would  ever  torture  our 
minds  again  with  their  unwelcome  visitations. 
The  great  amount  of  leisure  every  one  appears  to 
command  is  really  surprising.  The  rich  enjoy  their 
condition  to  the  fullest  extent  of  the  term — no  titled 
lords  or  ladies  have  more  courtly  grace  and  elegant 
manners.  The  poor  ape  the  rich  in  their  move- 
ments, as  though  it  were  undignified  to  be  brisk,  or 
manifest  any  haste,  going  about  quietly  as  though 
at  peace  with  all  the  world.  Every  thing  in  their 
houses  is  exceedingly  neat,  the  lower  part  being 
stuccoed  several  feet  from  the  base  with  designs,  no 
doubt  intended  as  the  escutcheons  of  royalty.  The 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          391 

floors  are  also  laid  in  tiles,  ornamented  with  flowers 
of  sapphire  color,  being  connected  with  each  other 
by  patterns  which,  when  in  position,  are  plainly 
seen.  May  not  these  be  identified  with  the  sapphire 
foundations  of  which  the  Prophet  Isaiah  speaks? 
Among  the  recent  discoveries  made  in  the  Moorish 
ruins  of  Italy  are  also  found  similar  floors. 

It  is  a  novelty  to  look  in  the  houses  and  see  the 
family  circles  gathered  in  their  homes,  all  smoking 
and  talking  but  the  babies.  The  cares  of  life  appar7 
ently  rest  very  lightly  on  them,  while  their  clothing 
is  more  airy  than  all — the  little  baby-girls  with  only 
a  pair  of  ear-rings,  the  boys  dressed  in  the  shad- 
ow of  the  nurse,  or  night  falling  softly  on  them. 
What  a  multitude  of  unformed  thoughts  enter  our 
minds  as  we  look  at  the  novel  sights  appearing  be- 
fore us,  where  only  a  foreign  language  is  sounding 
in  our  ears!  They  all  speak  the  Spanish,  which  is 
derived  mostly  from  the  Latin,  and  resembles  it,  ex- 
cept some  words  from  the  Arabic,  which  came  into 
use  with  them  after  Spain  was  conquered  by  the 
Moors.  The  pantomimic  efforts  made  by  salesmen 
and  servants,  in  trying  to  make  us  comprehend 
that  they  would  like  to  be  attentive  and  please  us, 
is  very  amusing.  The  marketer  explains  the  price 
of  his  fruits  by  showing  us  a  corresponding  piece 
of  silver.  If  we  shake  our  heads,  he  reduces  the 
amount,  and  writes  it  down  in  figures.  Although 
we  can  feast  our  eyes  on  the  various  scenes  which 
come  before  us  while  in  Cuba,  we  must  remember 
the  natives  are  looking  at  us,  uttering  a  jargon  of 
words,  not  much  of  which  we  can  comprehend,  ex- 


302          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

cept  Americano  and  sombrero,  which  implies  that  we 
are  Americans,  and  wear  hats.  The  Spanish  ladies 
wear  veils,  the  men  only  wearing  hats. 

Cruelty  to  seamen  while  in  Cuban  ports  is  an  evil 
which  needs  reforming.  The  vessels  in  whose  serv- 
ice they  are  engaged  are  mostly  from  a  frozen  clime, 
that  return  loaded  with  cargoes  of  sugar  and  mo- 
lasses. The  change  of  climate  to  a  person  of  leis- 
ure is  very  perceptible,  but  when  required  to  per- 
form the  heaviest  of  labor  under  a  tropical  sun,  it  is 
too  overpowering — it  is  cruelty!  The  sailor  is  fre- 
quently sent  aloft  to  grease  the  mast  at  midday, 
when  he  is  overpowered  by  heat,  and  drops  on  the 
decks,  gasps  once,  and  is  gone!  Poor  fellow! 
Only  a  man!  There  is  an  Irishwoman  living  in 
Cienfuegos,  called  by  the  sailors  "  Mother  Carey," 
and  the  duped  sailors  her  chickens.  She  is  married 
to  a  Spaniard,  and  keeps  a  Sailor's  Home,  or  saloon. 
She  employs  runners  to  inveigle  mariners  into  her 
shop,  and  then  for  fifty  cents'  worth  of  whisky  will, 
take  a  good  pair  of  boots,  or  any  kind  of  clothing, 
from  the  stupid  wretches.  After  robbing  them  in  this 
unfeeling  manner  she  turns  them  out,  to  find  their 
way  back  to  the  ship  as  best  they  can.  The  sailor  lias 
few  inducements  for  doing  right,  but  the  avenues  for 

O  O  ' 

his  destruction  are  never  closed  night  or  day. 

Cuba  has  been  on  the  altar  for  sacrifice  several 
years.  The  United  States  have  been  looking  for 
some  time  toward  the  event  of  its  severance  from 
Spain,  when  it  would  gravitate  toward  her  for  pro- 
tection. The  present  movement  is  being  made  be- 
cause the  people  have  no  voice  in  their  own  govern- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          893 

ment;  they  are  overburdened  with  taxes  to  support 
declining  royalty  from  Spain,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  laws  and  administering  them.  Would  an 
embassy  of  Americans,  with  authority  from  Wash- 
ington, be  more  acceptable  to  the  Cubans  than  their 
present  rulers?  Does  our  administration  now  evince 
that  efficiency,  justice,  and  prowess  to  protect  the 
unprotected,  and  strengthen  the  weak,  which  would 
encourage  a  feeble  foreign  principality  to  seek  an 
asylum  beneath  the  "stars  and  stripes,"  where  a 
shelter  free  from  discord  and  contention  could  be 
furnished  as  a  refuge  in  times  of  danger?  Does  not 
the  successful' warfare  in  which  it  has  been  engaged 
for  a  number  of  years  indicate  the  first  fundamental 
principles  of  self-government  and  defense?  How 
terrible  the  fate  of  all  insurgents  when  captured, 
at  the  sight  of  which  humanity  sickens!  and  yet 
they  neither  appear  intimidated  nor  appalled.  The 
victim  for  execution  is  led  out  at  the  dawn  of  dav., 
with  no  escort  but  the  priest  and  executioner. 
Upon  his  bended  knees  he  repeats  his  prayers  after 
the  padre.  The  condemned  man  is  then  shot  in 
the  back,  his  head  cut  off,  his  body  thrown  in  a 
cart,  and  carried  to  a  pit,  where  it  is  tumbled  in  and 
left.  No  words  of  extenuation,  no  excuse  or  quar- 
ter, is  tolerated  for  an  instant. 

Within  twenty  miles  of  Oienfuegos,  among  the 
mountains,  there  has  numbered  a  force  of  rebels 
somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  twelve  thousand. 
Their  movements  show  both  strategy  and  strength 
— their  mode  of  warfare  the  guerilla.  Over  a 
month  since  four  hundred  troops  were  landed  here 


394          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

from  Spain,  and  shortly  afterward  ordered  into  an 
engagement,  or  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  insur- 
gents. They  were  not  regulars  —  some  of  them 
beardless  youths.  When  the  fray  was  over,  it  is 
said  but  one  escaped,  because  he  had  a  better  horse 
than  his  pursuers.  The  destruction  of  this  force 
was  only  a  befo re-breakfast  pastime  for  the  rebels. 
They  are  now  constantly  making  incursions  upon 
the  planters,  firing  fields  of  cane,  sugar-mills,  and, 
before  the  work  of  destruction  is  half  finished,  they 
are  miles  away,  strewing  desolation  wherever  they 
pass.  The  Cuban  rebellion  is  no  longer  of  infantile 
growth;  the  entire  inefficiency  of  the  volunteers, 
who  go  racing  about  the  country,  is  plainly  to  be 
seen.  Every  thing  pertaining  to  military  move- 
ments is  shrouded  with  an  air  of  myster}r.  When 
the  wounded  and  dying  are  brought  in  on  the  cars, 
guards  are  placed  at  the  doors — no  person  but  sur- 
geons admitted,  no  questions  answered,  or  satisfac- 
tion given  to  outsiders.  It  is  shocking  to  see  a 
country  of  such  luxuriance  and  beauty  fall  a  prey 
to  the  unrelenting  hand  of  war,  which  gluts  itself 
with  human  gore,  and  is  only  satiated  when  the  fiend 
of  destruction  has  no  more  blood  to  shed,  or  con- 
quests to  make. 

"La  Purisima  Conception"  is  the  name  of  the 
only  church  in  the  city.  It  has  two  towers  and  ten 
bells.  The  tallest  tower  was  erected  to  contain  a 
clock,  and  afterward  the  church  was  built  around  it, 
thus  rendering  the  style  of  architecture  any  thing 
but  imposing.  The  materials  used  are  stone  and 
brick,  with  marble  floors.  It  is  singular  to  see  a 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          395 

people  among  whose  progenitors  in  Spain  the  Chris- 
tian religion  was  first  planted  b}<  the  apostles  them- 
selves, cherish  so  little  zeal  in  regard  to  the  observ- 
ance of  its  ordinances  in  any  way.  The  congregation 
outside  is  larger  than  the  number  of  worshipers  in- 
side, on  Sabbath  morning.  The  men  stand  about 
the  entrance,  and  make  remarks  about  those  going 
into  church,  as  though  they  were  engaged  in  the 
path  of  duty.  Their  conduct  is  a  reminder  that  the 
chivalric  days  of  elegant  address  and  lordly  demeanor 
are  passing  away  from  the  Spanish  people  who  reside 
this  side  of  the  water.  At  8  o'clock  A.M.  the  best 
society  residents  come  out  to  worship.  In  a  popu- 
lation often  thousand  souls  a  goodly  number  might 
be  expected  to  witness  the  imposing  ceremonial  of 
a  high  mass  on  Sabbath  morning.  The  church  has 
an  elegant  interior,  the  architecture  being  Doric,  the 
arched  roof  supported  by  numerous  pilasters.  At 
the  terminus  of  the  nave  is  placed  the  grand  altar, 
ornamented  with  images  of  dazzling  brightness  and 
golden  candlesticks  of  gigantic  proportions,  contain- 
ing immense  wax  candles,  which,  when  lighted, 
shed  a  star-like  luster.  There  are  also  eight  other 
altars  of  less  dimensions,  where  the  more  humble 
kneel  to  receive  consolation.  The  priest  looks  as 
ancient  as  the  religion  lie  represents,  and  chants 
mass  with  an  intonation  that  would  be  creditable  to 
one  less  in  years.  With  fine  music,  choice  paint- 
ings from  Spanish  and  Italian  masters,  representing 
saints  preceded  b\r  a  record  of  unsullied  purity,  upon 
which  were  beaming  subdued  rays  of  light  through 
stained  glass  of  rare  design  and  workmanship,  be- 


396          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

sides  all  that  could  be  attractive  in  a  church  and 
service  combined,  there  were  only  about  fifty  per- 
sons present,  including  white  and  black.  The  edi- 
fice was  designed  to  seat  only  a  few  of  the  congrega- 
tion. A  noticeable  peculiarity  in  attending  worship 
here  is  that  each  lady- worshiper  is  accompanied  by 
a  servant,  who  carries  a  low  cane-seated  chair  for 
her  mistress  to  occupy  during  service,  and  an  ele- 
gant rug  made  of  long,  soft  cashmere  goat's  hair, 
beautifully  dyed,  which  is  placed  in  front  of  the 
chair.  On  this  mat  the  mistress  kneels  to  repeat  her 
devotional  exercises,  with  an  ease  which  would  have 
been  considered  quite  sacrilegious  by  St.  Francis, 
or  any  of  those  old  hair-shirt-wearing  friars.  The 
servant  in  attendance,  if  young,  kneels  by  the  side 
of  her  mistress  upon  the  marble  tiles,  where  she  is 
expected  to  repeat  all  the  prayers  connected  with 
the  ritual.  If  she  is  seen  gazing  about,  as  an  ad- 
monition to  give  attention  to  her  religious  duties, 
she  receives  a  tap  on  the  head  from  her  mistress's 
hand,  which  causes  her  lips  to  move  again,  and  her 
eyes  to  cease  their  voyages  of  discovery.  Old  serv- 
ants kneel  behind  their  mistress,  and  go  through  the 
forms  of  worship  as  a  religious  duty  and  safeguard 
against  sin.  At  11  o'clock  A.M.  the  poor  people  at- 
tend church  in  the  same  place;  the  heat  is  too  fer- 
vent for  the  rich  to  venture  out  then.  Spiritual 
consolation  is  a  commodity  not  much  sought  after 
in  this  market  by  rich  or  poor,  if  the  numbers  in 
attendance  are  any  criterion.  What  few  are  assem- 
bled go  through  the  service  in  a  hurried,  business- 
like manner,  which  has  no  soul  in  it. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          397 

The  plaza  in  Cienfuegos  is  the  largest  on  the  isl- 
and. It  is  kept  in  order  by  the  coolies — a  race  of 
people  brought  from  the  mountains  of  Asia,  which 
forms  the  most  numerous  servile  population  in  the 
country.  At  night  it  is  the  scene  of  a  grand  dis- 
play, or  military  parade.  The  band  comes  from  the 
barracks,  surrounded  by  a  military  escort,  near  which 
no  one  is  permitted  to  pass.  The  guards  are  all  ex- 
tremely tall,  dark,  well-formed  men,  being  of  Moor- 
ish origin.  While  on  duty  they  stand  as  mute  and 
motionless  as  statuary,  with  their  guns  pointing  up- 
ward, but  ready  for  instant  action  at  the  word  of 
command.  It  is  here  the  chill  winds  never  come, 
and  drape  the  foliage  in  somber  hues — the  flowers 
are  always  blooming,  sweet  as  dreams  borne  on  an- 
gels' wings.  To  this  plaza,  at  night,  the  entire 
population  of  the  city  resort  for  recreation,  and  to 
breathe  the  fresh  air.  The  grounds  are  divided  into 
parterres,  laid  out  at  right  angles,  through  which 
are  wide  avenues,  paved  with  flat  rocks.  In  the 
center  is  a  fountain  and  grotto,  near  which  are  four 
marble  statues  representing  the  seasons.  No  fabled 
habitation  of  the  genii,  or  enchanting  description  of 
the  Isle  of  Calypso,  could  fill  the  imagination  with 
more  delightful  emotions  than  the  real  scene  before 
us.  The  bright  moonbeams  come  stealing  softly 
through  the  scarlet  hibiscus,  and  feathery  palms 
wave  their  graceful  wands  above  our  heads,  while 
the  most  gentle  zephyrs  fan  our  brows  with  their 
blandest  breeze,  and  every  thing  seems  tipped  with 
silver  sheen,  and  too  unreal  for  earth.  The  gay  arid 
beautiful  senoritas  soon  commence  promenading, 


398          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

many  of  them  dressed  in  white,  with  long,  starched 
trains  to  their  robes,  and  skirts  that  swept  over  the 
paved  boulevards  with  a  rushing  sound,  like  the 
waves  plashing  against  a  vessel,  although  the  ac- 
companiment of  shuffling  sandals  and  slip-shod  slip- 
pers of  the  men  make  a  grinding  noise  nothing 
suggestive  of  grace  or  elegance.  The  music  soon 
struck  up,  with  its  most  fascinating  strains;  every- 
body seemed  to  partake  of  its  harmonious  cadence, 
and  commenced  moving  about  with  the  grace  of 
sylphs.  The  soldiers  and  police,  with  their  brus- 
quiere  movements,  were  the  only  ones  present  not 
given  up  to  the  most  perfect  abandon  for  enjoyment. 
Among  other  choice  and  beautiful  pieces,  the  band 
played  II  Trovatore.  The  melody  seemed  intensi- 
fied by  the  same  pathos  that  seized  the  mind  of  the 
great  composer  when  he  wrote  it;  and  as  its  sounds 
died  away  among  the  moonbeams  and  perennial  fo- 
liage, while  its  echoes  lingered  in  the  air,  the  sur- 
roundings appeared  too  beautiful  for  any  thing  but 
the  culmination  of  all  on  earth  that  might  be  termed 
grand. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          399 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

^TEEKING  information  with  reference  to  dis- 


tances while  in  Cuba  will  be  found  an  ad- 
venturous enterprise.  The  answer  you  re- 
ceive is,  "  Far  as  the  voice  of  a  countryman, 
or  the  crowing  of  a  cock,"  which  you  find  after  trav- 
eling two  or  three  leagues  just  beyond.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  correct  distances  across  the  island  by  rail- 
way :  From  Cienfuegos  to  Cruces,  nineteen  miles ; 
from  Cruces  to  Santo  Domingo,  twenty-four  miles ; 
from  Santo  Domingo  to  Matanzas,  eighty  miles ; 
from  Matanzas  to  Havana,  sixty-six  miles.  Many 
suppose  Cuba  has  no  railroads,  except  some  on 
which  an  attempt  to  ride  would  imperil  their  safe- 
ty, which  is  a  great  mistake.  The  roads  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  Government,  being  well  built,  and  the 
speed  all  that  could  be  desired.  Three  kinds  of 
passenger-cars  are  placed  at  the  disposal  of  travelers 
— first,  second,  and  third  class.  The  first  class  are  not 
cushioned,  but  have  willow-wrought  backs  and  seats 
to  make  them  cool.  Few,  except  foreigners,  ride  in 
them.  The  second  class  have  cushioned  seats,  and 
more  passengers.  The  soldiers  also  ride  in  these. 
The  third  class  cars  have  seats  without  backs  or 
cushions  on  them.  The  majority  of  Cubans  have 
no  pride  in  regard  to  their  mode  of  traveling. 
These  uncomfortable  cars  are  literally  packed. 


400          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Here  we  see  the  elegantly -dressed  lady,  with  her 
crape  shawl  and  embroidered  veil  —  gentlemen- 
planters,  coolies,  the  blackest  slaves  on  the  island — 
all  listening  to  the  blind  fnusician  playing  on  his 
guitar,  while  his  wife  and  he  are  singing  their  Span- 
ish melodies  and  gathering  up  the  diner o  which  the 
kind-hearted  people  give  them. 

The  smell  of  garlic  and  tobacco  are  two  odorous 
substances  with  which  travelers  in  Cuba  must  be- 
come accustomed.  Passengers  all  smoke  in  every 
car — the  interrogation  never  being  used,  Is  smok- 
ing offensive  ?  Everybody  seems  trying  to  pull  the 
greatest  possible  amount  of  pleasure  from  the  Ha- 
vana weed.  A  vast  number  of  cisrars  and  cigarettes 

~  -   O 

vanish  in  a  short  space  of  time. 

As  the  train  started  from  C races,  a  quiet  shower 
distilled  itself.  It  rains  in  Cuba  without  threaten- 
ing skies  or  any  visible  preparation.  There  is  no 
rolling  up  of  squadrons  into  threatening  ranks,  the 
moisture  appearing  to  come  from  nowhere.  The 
shower  was  like  beaut}7  blushing  through  tears,  the 
skies  were  so  lovely,  and  the  rain-drops  very  gentle. 
It  is  harvest-time  now  on  the  island.  Every  thing 
is  hurry  and  rush,  while  both  men  and  beasts  are, 
many  of  them,  driven  to  death.  When  we  stopped 
at  the  first  station  it  was  early  in  the  morning,  and 
day  was  breaking.  Carts,  drawn  by  oxen  and  loaded 
with  sugar-hogsheads  which  had  come  from  miles 
away,  were  standing  there.  Poor  brutes  !  What  a 
look  of  subjugation  they  all  have,  with  an  immense 
ring  through  their  noses,  and  no  yoke  around  their 
necks  but  a  small  one  fastened  to  their  heads  and 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          401 

horns,  by  which  the  loads  arc  drawn  !  These  oxen 
are  of  immense  size,  with  tremendously  long  horns. 
They  are  not  the  Florida  stock  of  cattle,  but  brought 
from  Mexico.  They  drive  them  with  goads,  or  sharp- 
ened pieces  of  iron,  which  are  very  severe.  Noth- 
ing is  treated  so  badly  here  as  the  patient  ox,  the 
mortality  among  them  being  greater  than  all  the 
other  animals  combined.  Acres  of  sugar-hogsheads 
now  cover  the  grounds  around  the  depots.  The 
wealth  of  the  country — that  before  which  all  other 
products  sink  into  insignificance — is  the  rich  sugar- 
cane, supplying  more  than  half  the  world  with  its 
saccharine  deposits.  The  cane  raised  here  is  three 
per  cent,  richer  than  that  raised  in  the  Southern 
States.  It  grows  from  four  to  eight  feet  in  height, 
according  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil.  It  is  now 
March,  and  the  summit  of  the  cane  is  crowned  with 
its  useful  blooms,  which  are  gathered  and  dried  for 
upholstering  purposes,  while  the  leaves  are  cut  and 
used  for  the  sustenance  of  stock,  which  are  herded, 
watched,  and  fed,  night  and  day,  when  not  work- 
ing. In  passing  through  the  country  we  frequently 
see,  remote  from  any  dwelling,  small  tents  stretched 
over  a  cot- bed.  Here  is  where  the  coolie  cattle- 
herder  sleeps.  The  heavy  dews,  with  the  hot  sun- 
shine at  midday,  to  which  they  are  exposed,  must 
finish  out  the  existence  of  these  poor  wretches  very 
soon. 

The  mornings  being  a  little  airy  now,  the  agents 

come  out,  on  the  arrival  of  the  train,  dressed  in  the 

capa  parada,  or  long  brown  cloth  cloaks,  with  capes 

which  hang  over  their  shoulders.     Below  is  seen  a 

18 


402          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

pair  of  legs  dressed  in  white,  supported  by  a  pair 
of  feet  covered  with  their  birthday  stockings  and 
leather  sandals.  This  constitutes  the  uniform  of 
both  agents  and  loafers,  worn  by  them  when  mak- 
ing their  debut  from  a  hasty  morning  toilet.  Trav- 
elers, in  going  through  the  country  now,  pass  the 
day  in  varied  vicissitudes  of  thought  and  feelings. 
It  is  no  secret  that  a  war  is  progressing  in  Cuba 
which  may  end  in  a  Santo  Domingo  massacre,  or, 
like  the  Kilkenny  cats,  continue  fighting  until  they 
destroy  each  other.  More  soldiers  are  traveling 
on  the  trains  than  citizens  —  their  uniforms  being 
made  of  light-blue  striped  linen,  with  scarlet  cuft's, 
and  their  hats  of  Panama,  turned  up  on  the  left 
side,  on  which  is  fastened  a  red  and  yellow  cockade. 
This  style  of  dress  seems  to  be  intended  as  a  mark 
of  loyalty  to  the  Spanish  Government,  used  more 
for  a  badge  of  their  principles  than  a  uniform  de- 
signed for  those  in  actual  service,  as  it  is  worn  by 
men  too  old  for  duty,  and  boys  too  young  for  enlist- 
ment. The  men  are  all  armed  with  guns,  knives, 
and  pistols,  until  they  look  like  moving  arsenals. 
Barracks  are  stationed  on  the  railroad  at  every 
town  of  any  size,  while  cavalry  soldiers,  armed 
with  carbines,  go  dashing  about  in  all  directions. 
The  Cuban  saddle-horses  are  evidently  related  to 
the  Arabian  stock  brought  from  Spain ;  they  are 
pretty,  graceful,  docile,  easy-gaited  creatures.  The 
cavalry  braid  their  horses'  tails,  then  tie  them  to  the 
saddles  with  red  and  yellow  ribbons.  When  they 
ride  up  to  a  store  or  hotel,  they  hitch  them  under 
the  front  veranda.  A  Spaniard  told  me  "  that  it 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         403 

was  because  they  were  too  lazy  to  walk,  and  they 
rode  into  the  house." 

The  insurgents  are  more  to  be  dreaded,  in  the 
adoption  of  their  present  tactics,  than  regularly 
organized  troops.  They  are  acquainted  with  every 
portion  of  the  country  —  all  its  defiles  and  eleva- 
tions— with  their  methods  and  places  for  secure  re- 
treat always  selected.  They  dart  about  like  sun- 
beams, dealing  destruction  to  every  thing  in  their 
reach  with  the  celerity  of  hurricanes.  The  regular 
vocations  of  life  are  interrupted — all  the  energies 
of  the  nation  being  expended  on  arms,  and  not  on 
arts,  which  has  already  sounded  the  death-knell  to 
their  national  prosperity.  Many  Spaniards  are  now 
nursing  the  delusion  of  peace,  but  it  is  only  a  shadow, 
evanescent  as  the  gorgeous  hues  which  deck  their 
evening  skies.  Foreigners,  as  they  pass  through  the 
country,  feel  some  anxiety  for  their  safety  when  they 
approach  the  track  of  the  insurgents  so  close  as  to 
see  the  smoking  ruins  of  burning  sugar -houses. 
Strangers  who  visit  here  now,  with  proper  pass- 
ports and  correct  deportment,  will  be  protected. 
Persons  who  either  cannot  or  will  not  give  any  ac- 
count of  themselves  are  regarded  with  suspicion, 
which  is  the  same  in  all  countries  that  are  in  a  state 
of  insurrection. 

In  traveling  two  hundred  miles  we  change  cars 
four  times.  On  the  trains  we  have  none  of  those 
insinuating,  untiring,  vigilant,  prize-candy  boys,  to 
thrust  their  wares  in  our  faces,  just  as  our  nerves 
are  settling  from  the  last  jolt,  to  worry  us  until  we 
have  to  make  an  investment  in  their  sweet  flour- 


404          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

paste  and  brass  jewelry,  to  be  rid  of  them.  The 
coolies  seem  to  do  the  peddling  at  the  stopping- 
places.  They  have  for  sale  sponge-cakes,  peeled 
oranges,  bananas,  goat's -milk  cheese,  and  guuva- 
jelly.  What  a  medley  of  all  nations  is  seen  when 
we  halt!  There  is  something  in  the  atmosphere 
opposed  to  silence,  yet  everybody  keeps  in  a  good 
humor.  When  the  train  stops  there  is  no  hurry  or 
bustle — all  the  ladies  sit  down,  while  the  men  walk 
up  to  the  bar  for  a  drink.  The  favorite  beverage  is 
made  from  the  penalis,  or  "long  kiss" — a  hollow- 
shaped  banana,  molded  from  sugar,  mixed  with  wine 
and  water.  There  is  no  drinking  behind  screens — 

o 

it  is  all  public,  in  a  large  room,  with  seats  for  pas- 
sengers to  sit  on.  The  Cubans  drink  small  quanti- 
ties each  time,  yet  no  one  gets  drunk,  the  wines 
being  so  light  and  pure.  Each  departure  of  the 
train  is  announced  by  the  ringing  of  a  large  dinner- 
bell  held  in  the  hands  of  a  negro.  The  coolies  are 
employed  on  the  cars,  both  as  firemen  and  brake- 
men.  Our  coolie  brakeman  went  to  sleep  between 
each  stopping-place,  but  never  was  behind  time  when 
the  engine  whistled  down  brakes.  The  depots  are 
not  large;  but  each  one  has  a  flower-yard,  or  gar- 
den, attached,  arranged-  with  taste,  where  the  scar- 
let hibiscus  blooms  with  its  showy  petals,  that  flame 
like  "mimic  suns."  They  gave  us  flowers  freely 
when  we  motioned  for  them;  but  they  gave  us  looks 
too,  as  the  inhabitants  in  the  center  of  the  island  are 
not  much  accustomed  to  seeing  foreigners.  Al- 

o  o 

though  it  is  only  the  first  day  of  March,  every  thing 
has  on  a  midsummer  dress — all  the  flowers,  like  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          405 

national  colors,  are  of  the  grandest  hues.  The  fa- 
vorite shade-tree  is  the  orange,  of  which  nearly  every 
cabin,  however  humble,  has  a  few.  One  arbor  had 
tomato-vines  trained  over  it,  hanging  full  of  scarlet 
fruit,  forming  a  fine  contrast  with  the  green  leaves. 
Miles  of  banana-trees  are  passed  on  every  side,  ma- 
turing rapidly.  Immense  fields  of  corn  give  prom- 
ise of  an  abundant  harvest.  The  plantations  are 
inclosed  by  hedges  of  Campeachy  and  Brazil  wood, 
besides  sessile  hemp,  Spanish  bayonet,  and  cactus, 
while  some  have  rock  walls.  The  hedges  formed 
from  vegetation  are  constantly  clothed  with  verd- 
ure and  flowers:  any  attempt  to  penetrate  them 
would  be  a  hazardous  enterprise  for  man  or  beast, 
as  well  as  a  damaging  encounter  for  all  fleshly  or 
furry  coverings.  The  tropical  atmosphere  which 
pervades  this  island  is  favorable  to  the  growth  of 
plants  of  various  species  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 
The  royal  palm,  with  its  curling  plumes,  rearing  its 
lofty  head  two  hundred  feet  in  the  air,  stands  in 
rows  on  each  side  of  the  avenues  that  lead  to  the 
dwellings.  Its  leaves  are  used  in  thatching  houses, 
its  fruit  in  fattening  hogs,  and  its  stately  trunk  for 
troughs.  By  means  of  ropes  these  immense  trees 
are  climbed  by  the  natives,  with  the  celerity  of 
monkeys.  The  acacia-tree  also  sheds  its  fragrance 
in  the  woods  and  cultured  gardens.  The  virgin  for- 
ests are  teeming  with  such  a  superabundance  of 
vegetation,  it  has  no  room  for  development.  The 
trunks  of  the  trees  are  covered  with  moss,  ferns, 
and  parasitic  plants,  which  perfume  the  air,  and  de- 
light us  with  the  most  exquisite  odors,  while  above 


406          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

all  climbs  the  convolvulus  to  dizzy  heights,  inter- 
weaving and  forming  arches  to  crown  the  rank 
growth  with  its  perpetual-blooming,  campanulated 
flowers.  Here  the  cactus  famil}',  with  its  collaterals, 


NATIVES    GATHERING    PALM-FRUIT. 


assume  immense  proportions,  armed  with  weapons, 
the  appearance  of  which  is  sufficient  to  fill  the  mind 
of  any  explorer  with  terror.  The  old  man's  beard, 
with  its  swinging  pendants  hanging  from  the  tall 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          407 

trees  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds,  flourishes  as  though 
its  resting-place  was  something  more  substantial 
than  the  caprice  of  every  fickle  breeze.  There  are 
no  large  streams  of  water  flowing  through  the  coun- 
try; but  springs  abound,  some  of  which  are  sup- 
posed to  possess  curative  properties.  The  most  airy 
tales  emanating  from  the  pen  of  the  wildest  ro- 
mancer have  never  equaled  the  real  beauties  of  this 
modern  Eden.  It  seems  to  have  been  designed  as  a 
haunt  for  the  Muses,  or  a  resting-place  for  ethereal 
messengers,  where  they  could  meet  and  hold  con- 
verse before  proceeding  on  their  missions  of  mercy, 
in  administering  comfort  to  the  afflicted.  The  resi- 
dents of  such  a  land,  instead  of  destroying  each 
other,  and  manifesting  the  unfeeling,  restless  dispo- 
sition which  we  see  here,  should  be  as  contented  as 
crickets,  to  feed  upon  dew-drops  and  bask  in  sun- 
beams. 

That  slave-labor  is  employed  here,  and  slavery  ex- 
ists, we  have  sufficient  proof  in  traveling  through 
the  country.  Negroes  being  naturally  a  discon- 
tented race,  they  run  away  whenever  an  opportunity 
presents  itself.  One  planter  left  us  with  a  black 
slave  at  Colon.  She  had  a  rope  tied  around  her 
waist,  with  which  her  master  was  leading  her.  She 
was  well  dressed,  had  some  bundles  in  her  arms, 
and  looked  very  indifferent,  generally.  The  laws 
forbid  their  being  whipped;  but  the  plantation- 
drivers  all  have  huge  lashes,  which,  when  popped, 
sound  like  the  distant  report  of  fire-arms.  The 
slaves  are  formed  into  ranks  when  they  go  to  and 
return  from  their  work;  sometimes  a  hundred  are 


408          Petals  Plucked  from  Manny  Climes. 

seen  in  a  drove,  composed  of  both  sexes.  They  are 
now  employed  in  cutting  cane,  and  load  from  thirty 
to  fifty  wagons  at  once  before  they  move  them  to  the 
mills  for  grinding  and  boiling.  The  mules  grind 
the  cane  with  veiled  faces  and  sour  looks  for  such 
sweet  work.  Cane  only  requires  renewing  here  once 
in  five  or  ten  years;  consequently,  but  few  are  plant- 
ing or  plowing.  We  visited  one  plantation  for  the 
purpose  of  seeing  them  work.  Every  thing  was  in 
a  rush.  Some  had  on  chains  for  bad  conduct;  but 
their  tasks  had  to  be  performed  all  the  same.  One 
coolie  was  pointed  out  as  having  been  run  away  two 
years,  hidden  out  at  work  with  the  colliers  in  the 
mountains.  He  was  kept  in  the  stocks  at  night,  and 
made  to  work  with  his  chains  on  during  the  day,  of 
which  he  complained  to  the  overseer's  wife.  She 
replied,  "If  they  give  you  liberty  you  will  go  away 
again."  He  responded,  "I  will."  The  slaves  were 
never  treated  with  half  the  severity  in  the  States 
which  they  receive  here.  .Their  quarters  are  miser- 
able thatched  huts,  with  earth  floors,  furnished  witli 
only  an  inclined  plank  for  a  bed,  sick  or  well.  Their 
principal  food  is  rice  and  cassava-root,  ground  and 
baked  in  thin  cakes.  Slave-property  has  depreciated 
very  much  in  Cuba  since  the  insurrectionary  move- 
ments, and  at  present  none  appear  anxious  to  make 
investments  in  such  precarious  property.  The  im- 
portation of  more  coolies  has  been  forbidden.  Ne- 
groes from  Africa  have  been  landed  here  this  winter. 
The  coolies  cannot  learn  to  speak  English  well,  but 
catch  the  Spanish  language  directly.  Small  negroes 
arc  plentiful;  they  all  come  around  us,  with  their 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          409 

rude,  naked,  black  bodies  and  woolly  beads,  to  steal 
a  sly  glance  at  tlie  strangers,  and  tben  run  away. 
Many  traveling  monkeys  look  brigbter,  and  mani- 
fest more  signs  of  intelligence,  tban  tbese  creatures. 
As  soon  as  they  can  walk  they  receive  about  the  same 
attention  as  [nippies — upon  which  they  thrive  very 
well.  There  is  no  Sunday  on  sugar-plantations,  and 
all  the  slaves  look  as  though  they  did  not  have  sense 
to  comprehend  it,  if  any  one  should  tell  them  they 
bad  a  soul.  They  are  only  taught  to  work,  and  if 
they  refuse,  the  stocks  and  chains  are  ready  for 
them,  and  other  punishments  too,  although  the 
laws  make  a  pretense  of  redressing  their  wrongs 
and  ameliorating  their  condition. 

Chicken-fio-htino;  is  practiced  in  Cuba  as  a  means 

O  O  J, 

of  subsistence.  When  a  young  man  forsakes  the 
paternal  roof  in  the  States,  to  engage  in  games  of 
chance,  he  usually  carries  a  pack  of  playing-cards  in 
his  pocket,  which  are  not  seen.  The  young  Cuban 
leaves  home  attired  in  his  best  clothes,  with  a  thor- 
ough-bred lighting-cock  under  his  arm,  from  the 
body  of  which  all  the  feathers  have  been  plucked, 
his  wings  and  tail-plumage  only  remaining.  These 
chickens  are  carried  with  an  evident  feeling  of  pride, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  display,  as  an  American 
jockey  would  show  a  fine  horse.  The  owners  have 
an  ear  of  corn  in  their  pocket,  with  which  they  feed 
them.  When  the  cars  stop  they  always  crow,  as  if 
trying  to  challenge  a  champion  for  fight.  These 
fights  are  not  considered  disgraceful  here,  as  in 
other  countries,  and  hundreds  of  dollars  are  bet  on 
a  single  chicken.  The  Cubans  laugh  when  any 
^ 


410          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

thing  is  said  about  cruelty  to  chickens,  and  reply, 
"No  law  has  yet  been  passed  here  for  the  prevention 
of  cruelty  to  animals.  When  Bergh  visits  Cuba,  no 
doubt,  his  first  and  warmest  sympathies  will  be  en- 
listed in  behalf  of  the  poor  chickens,  with  their  bare 
backs  deprived  of  the  natural  covering  to  prevent 
others  with  which  they  fight  from  holding  them  by 
their  feathers.  The  Spaniards,  being  a  nation  of 
strong  passions,  require  something  more  than  men- 
tal exhilaration  to  stimulate  and  satisfy  them — hence 
the  resort  to  chicken  and  bull-fights. 

Matanzas  is  situated  on  the  north-west  coast  of 
Cuba,  latitude  23°  north,  and  sixty-six  miles  from 
Havana.  The  sea-approach  to  Matanzas  Bay  is  indi- 
cated by  two  singularly  shaped  hills,  called  The  Pan 
of  Matanzas,  which  appear  to  stand  like  sentinels 
guarding  the  entrance.  The  harbor  is  fine,  afford- 
ing protection  from  all  winds  but  the  north-east. 
The  surrounding  elevations  of  land  give  the  city 
the  appearance  of  an  amphitheater,  or  half  circle. 
The  soil  in  the  vicinity  is  the  richest  in  Cuba.  The 
range  of  mountains  here  evidences  marks  of  con- 
vulsions in  nature,  and  they  have,  no  doubt,  been 
the  seat  of  volcanic  action.  The  rocks  forming  the 
basis  of  these  mountains  are  limestone  —  some  of 
them  containing  caves,  one  of  which  is  said  to  ex- 
tend under  the  town.  As  we  approach  the  depot, 
what  a  medley  we  sec  !  A  regular  Pentecostal  il- 
lustration of  olden  times,  where  every  one  hears  his 
own  tongue  spoken  !  We  noticed  an  official  on  duty 
whose  services  are  much  needed  in  many  places.  It 
was  a  man  with  a  moderate-sized  rod,  which  he  used 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          411 

in  clearing  the  car-shed  of  idle  boys  and  lazy  serv- 
ants— making  porters,  carrying  bundles,  move  with 
accelerated  velocity.  A  subordinate  race  here  has 
no  show  for  the  development  of  their  slothful  pro- 
clivities; the  authorities  arrest  them  when  discov- 
ered, and,  without  any  appeal,  send  them  to  work, 
miles  away,  on  the  sugar-plantations — vagrancy  and 
vagabondism  being  dangerous  experiments  in  Cuban 
cities. 

I  am  unable  to  explain  the  cause,  but  all  the  Cuban 
men  wear  visages  as  though  their  bodies  were  the 
abode  of  numerous  pains,  which  distorted  their 
facial  nerves,  while  their  attenuated  limbs  look  like 
the  home  of  rheumatics,  whose  frequent  twitchings 
had  absorbed  the  flesh,  leaving  only  a  little  parch- 
ment-covered bone  and  muscle,  resembling  a  has- 
been  foundation  of  an  aristocratic  family.  No  smile 
sleeps  or  wakes  on  their  faces;  if  one  should,  per- 
chance, light  on  them,  it  soon  leaves,  for  want  of 
encouragement.  The  ladies  all  look  plump  and  well 
kept  as  any  scions  of  royal  blood.  Care  rests  lightly 
on  them  as  their  clothing,  which  entire  outfit  resem- 
bles the  lace  and  gauzy  drapery  for  the  more  substan- 
tial ornamenting  of  an  American  lady's  toilet. 

Here  \ve  see  the  coolies  engaged  in  all  kinds  of 
servitude — cooking,  waiting  on  tables,  attending  in 
sleeping-apartments — always  moving  in  that  snail- 
pace  which,  apparently,  nothing  less  than  a  tornado 
would  cause  them  to  vary.  What  a  sad,  solitary, 
sullen-looking  race  they  are,  with  a  cloud  of  dis- 
content always  hanging  over  their  faces,  rarely, 
if  ever,  engaging  in  pleasantries  with  their  compan- 


412          Petals  1'luckal  from  Sunny  Clinics. 

ions,  but  always  creeping  around  with  ti  shadowy 
frown,  which  resembles  a  graveyard -parting  more 
than  any  thing  with  which  we  are  familiar!  A 
pleasant  look  on  their  features  would  be  as  foreign 
to  them  as  a  ray  of  sunshine  to  their  hearts. 

When  we  pass   the  gateway  through  which   all 
passengers  are  required  to  enter  and  surrender  their 
tickets,  how  reviving  the  prospect  to  strangers  the 
notice,  "English  and  French  spoken,"  which  enables 
them  again  to  hold  intelligent  communication  with 
the  outside  world,  after  spending  a'wliole  day  in  a 
crowd,  with  only  their  own  thoughts  and  supposi- 
tions on  subjects  and  novel  sights,  surrounded  by  a 
Babel  of  unmeaning  sounds  !     The  above  direction, 
designating  the  languages  spoken,  is  the  only  requi- 
site sign  for  a  hotel.    As  we  enter,  a  reception  is  given 
us  by  the  proprietor,  who  is  a  keen,  sharp,  smiling 
French  Creole,  with  the  clearest  of  ideas  in  regard 
to  the  amount  of  funds  he  can  extract  from  every 
guest.      A    lovely    and    refreshing    breeze    passes 
through  the  house,  coming  from   both  mountains 
and  sea.     Here  it  meets  us  like  a  welcome  friend, 
to  fan  the  warm  and  refresh  the  weary  traveler  with 
its  combined  influences.     Let  all  the  contracts  of 
those  who  come  to  Cuba  be  made  in  advance;  it 
will  save  much  unpleasantness,  as  the  proprietors 
charge  in  proportion  to  their  avarice,  if  no  previous 
terms  have  been  agreed  upon  by  both  parties.     Four 
dollars  per  da}%  in  gold,  will  give  a  guest  the  full  ben- 
efit of  all  accommodations  furnished,  including  wine 
for  dinner.    You  can  receive  your  attentions  in  Span- 
ish, French,  orEnglish.    Dinner  commences  at 4  P.M., 


Petals  Plucked  from  S u,nny  Climes.         413 

of  which  we  will  now  avail  ourselves  at  a  later  hour. 
The  table  is  spread  with  a  white  linen  cloth  and 
damask  napkins.  The  little  ants  Imve  been  inspect- 
ing the  premises,  and  many  of  them  are  still  ex- 
ploring the  precincts.  Some  have  selected  the  cas- 
ter as  the  most  prominent  point  for  reconnoitering, 
where  they  are  still  taking  observations.  These  are 
all  soon  brushed  away  by  the  waiter  without  cere- 
mony, and  then  conies  the  repast.  The  cooking  is 
on  the  French  restaurant  order.  The  savory  odor 
of  onions  and  garlic  exhales  from  soup  and  meat 
on  every  side — chickens  cooked  in  all  styles  that 
a  connoisseur  could  invent  —  beef,  mutton,  Irish 
potatoes,  tomatoes,  and  squashes,  besides  other 
vegetables  of  all  kinds.  After  having  our  plate 

O  O  i 

changed  ten  times,  the  meats  are  all  removed  for 
dessert,  which  consists  of  cheese,  guava  jelly,  cocoa- 
nut  grated  and  cooked  in  sirup — the  meal  conclud- 
ing with  a  cup  of  cafe  noir.  The  Cubans  laugh  at 
the  Americans  for  mixing  flour  and  sugar  into  pics 
and  sweet-cakes. 

After  dinner  we  went  to  visit  some  friends  on 
the  bark  Adelaide,  anchored  in  Matanzas  Bay. 
The  process  of  being  pulled  on  board  from  a  small 
boat  would  be  a  hazardous  experiment  for  those 
•whose  arms  were  not  well  fastened.  It  makes  a  con- 
sequential person  feel  very  diminutive,  as  though 
he  were  about  the  same  size  and  importance  as  any 
other  fish,  dangling  at  the  end  of  a  line,  previous  to 
being  taken  in  and  served  up  for  chowder. 

Over  eighty  vessels  are  anchored  in  the  bay — all 
waiting  for  cargoes  of  su^ar  and  molasses.  The 


414         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

captains  are  complaining  on  account  of  the  low 
bids  made  for  freights.  Every  day  fifty  of  them 
can  be  seen  in  th£  consigning-office  of  Air.  Sanchez. 
They  all  have  an  anxious,  care-worn  look,  and  some 
of  them  so  old,  seasoned,  and  toughened,  by  hard- 
ships and  exposure,  that,  if  they  were  to  fall  over- 
board, the  shark  that  would  have  the  temerity  or 
skill  to  seize  them,  would  never  survive  a  similar 
experiment,  unless  a  Jonah  miracle  were  wrought 
in  him.  Each  captain,  as  he  arrives,  gives  the 
morning  salutation  by  asking  his  companions  in 
turn,  "Is  your  vessel  entered?"  "Are  you  char- 
tered?" "Where  you  going  to  sail  for?"  Most 
of  the  vessels  are  from  Maine  and  Massachusetts. 
Strange  as  it  may  appear,  man}^  of  these  captains 
have  their  entire  families  with  them.  The  ladies, 
while  in  port,  extract  some  sweets,  despite  the 
rough  life  they  lead,  in  making  calls,  visits,  and 
even  giving  dinners  and  concerts  —  all  the  invita- 
tions being  limited  to  their  maritime  acquaintances 
from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe.  Then  they 
take  little  excursions,  in  their  long-boats,  up  the 
beautiful  and  historic  valley  of  Yumori,  or  walk  to 
the  city  in  crowds  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  accompanied 
by  all  the  children  who  are  not  too  small  to  go  with 
them.  Batteries  of  black  eyes  are  leveled  at  them, 
as  they  pass,  from  every  side.  ~No  hippodrome,  in 
making  its  grand  entree,  was  ever  scrutinized  more 
closely.  Clerks  leave  their  counters  to  gaze  at 
them;  servants  forget  their  business;  pack-mules 
endanger  the  wares  of  their  owners;  coolies  drop 
their  cakes  of  ice  in  the  river  when  unloading  ves- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          415 

sels,  as  the  foreigners  cross  the  bridge,  while  idle 
boys  and  girls  follow  them,  to  take  a  good  look ! 
The  gratification  is  mutual — each  gazer  is  happy, 
and,  apparently,  satisfied  in  the  enjoyment  of  sight- 
seeing. Some  of  these  ladies  have  sailed  with  their 
husbands  for  years,  under  stormy  skies,  or  crossing 
polar  seas.  A  few  of  them  have  learned  how  to 
compute  latitude  and  longitude  by  the  quadrant. 
They  speak  of  wrecks  as  we  would  heavy  thunder- 
showers  on  land. 

The  time  for  leaving  the  bay  soon  arrived.  Na- 
ture had  veiled  her  face,  like  the  Cuban  beauties, 
with  a  tissue  so  transparent  that,  instead  of  con- 
cealing her  charms,  they  were  only  increased.  The 
darkness  seemed  like  a  mist,  produced  by  the  en- 
chanting movements  of  some  invisible  spirit,  more 
than  the  shades  of  night  in  other  places.  The 
lights  beamed  from  the  shore  in  the  distance.  All 
the  ships  had  their  signals,  of  varied  hues,  burning 
brightly,  while  the  stars  shone  with  the  same  un- 
fading, brilliant  luster  as  when  their  first  song 
echoed  through  the  ethereal  vaults  of  heaven,  and 
"all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy."  The  proc- 
ess of  being  returned  into  the  little  boat,  at  night, 
appears  like  a  leap  in  the  dark,  as  I  stepped  back- 
ward down  a  rope-ladder  until  the  pilot  says,  "  Let 
go,"  when  my  hands  unclasp;  at  the  same  instant  a 
very  uncertain  hold  is  taken,  with  my  feet  on  some- 
thing that  moves,  but  I  am  safe.  Before  us  lies  a 
scene  in  which  our  imagination  has  reached  its  cul- 
minating point,  where  enthusiasm  gains  the  as- 
cendency, when  an  approach  is  made  toward  extrav- 


V 

410          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

agance  in  the  use  of  language — the  barge  of  Cleo- 
patra, borne  on  the  placid  Cyclnus  —  which,  in 
musical  cadence,  echoed  no  more  sweetly  than  the 
plash  of  our  oars  with  the  brilliant  phosphorescent 
light  by  which  each  stroke  was  followed,  and  the 
train  of  silvery  waves  that  marked  our  movements 
through  the  illumined  waters  of  Matanzas  Bay. 
Near  the  wharf  we  obtained  a  carriage,  without 
difficulty,  that  conveyed  us  to  the  plaza,  and,  after- 
ward, to  the  hotel.  The  plaza  resembled  a  pano- 
ramic view,  drafted  from  the  imagination  by  some 
skilled  artist — the  beautiful  senoritas,  with  no  dull, 
meditative  moods  in  their  63-68,  but  merry  flashes  of 
the  sunshine,  in  which  they  spend  their  lives,  re- 
flected back  to  beautify  the  world  in  which  they 
live.  Decked  in  their  pink  and  creamy  robes,  float- 
ing through  the  avenues  among  gorgeous  flowering 
plants,  they  resembled  a  festival  in  fairy-land  more 
than  the  enjoyments  incident  to  real  life. 

Our  hotel  is  soon  reached,  where  quiet  rules  the 
hour,  all  the  inmates  having  gone  to  the  plaza,  or 
slumbering  in  the  arms  of  tired  repose,  but  the  ma- 
joral  and  a  few  of  his  assistants.  A  tall,  ebony-col- 
ored servant  conducts  us  to  our  apartments,  and 
turns  on  the  gas,  which,  in  the  jail-like  rooms,  is 
much  needed.  I  commenced  speaking  English  to 
the  raid  de  chambre,  when  he  looked  at  me  as  if  in 
distress,  and  said,  "Poiirquoi  ne  vous  me  parlais  en 
Francais!"  "Vous  parlez  Francais!"  I  relieved 
his  anxiety  by  giving  all  our  orders  in  French,  to 
which  he  responded  with  much  alacrity.  The  bolt- 
ing of  blinds  and  doors,  combined  with  the  high, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          417 

substantial  brick  and  mortar  walls  which  surround 
us,  savors  very  much  of  captivity — all  the  oxygen 
we  have  at  night  passing  through  a  small  square 
made  in  the  apertures  of  the  blinds.  The  canvas- 
framed  stretchers,  designed  for  reclining,  and  the* 
accommodation  of  only  one  person,  are  canopied 
over  with  beautifully-wrought  lace,  looking  both 
clean,  cool,  and  inviting,  to  our  weary  frames.  The 
atmosphere  at  this  place  is  said  to  be  conducive  of 
sleep.  Every  thing  sleeps,  no  difference  when  or 
where.  The  driver  nods  on  his  cabriolet,  which 
might  be  attended  with  direful  consequences,  but 
the  poor  brutes  are  so  jaded  they  are  sleepy  too. 
The  salesman  snores  on  his  stall,  sometimes  stretched 
out  full  length.  The  cooly  nods  over  his  chop- 
sticks and  rice,  after  he  has  eaten  his  dinner,  while 
the  more  elegant  matron  inclines  her  head  grace- 
fully, saying,  Siesta.  Morning  dawns,  leaving  no 
marks  of  intervening  space,  but  every  thing  is  full  of 
life  and  business.  The  butler's  voice  is  heard  above 
the  din  of  dishes  and  kettles,  giving  orders,  while 
his  busy  hands  are  preparing  delicate  loin -steaks, 
mutton-chops,  and  veal-cutlets,  for  broiling,  and  9 
o'clock  train  from  Havana.  The  coffee  is  prepared 
on  a  separate  range  near  the  dining-tables,  close  to 
the  call  of  every  new  applicant  for  the  delightful 
beverage;  it  comes  steaming  out  into  the  big  China 
cups,  the  servant  holding  in  one  hand  a  kettle  of 
boiling  milk,  and  one  of  coffee  in  the  other,  fur- 
nishing us  milk  and  coffee,  or  vice  versa.  "Mi  cafe," 
at  six  or  seven  in  the  morning,  accompanied  with  a 
small  French  roll,  fbrtiiies  the  inhabitants  for  any 


418          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

movements  which  they  wish  to  make  until  breakfast- 
time.  While  drinking  our  coffee  the  porter,  hat  in 
hand,  announces  El  Volante,  which  we  had  ordered 
the  night  before  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the 
eave.  All  efforts  to  describe  that  curious  conveyance 
must  fail,  when  compared  to  the  reality  of  riding  in 
one — it  being  a  vehicle  of  Cuban  origin,  not  in 
general  use  on  the  island  now,  except  in  the  coun- 
try. It  is  drawn  by  two  horses,  one  placed  between 
the  shafts,  the  other  on  the  left  in  rear  of  the  first, 
upon  which  a  booted,  liveried  postilion,  called  a 
calesero,  is  seated  in  a  diminutive  saddle.  The  cen- 
ter of  gravity  is  nowhere  in  a  volante,  while  it  swings 
and  vibrates  along  softlj"  as  a  boat  on  smooth  water. 
When  the  wheels  strike  a  rock  it  is  accompanied 
with  no  unpleasant  jolts,  like  our  American  car- 
riages. Fancy  could  not  conceive  of  spirits  borne 
on  the  wings  of  an  ethereal  messenger  bein 2;  wafted 

O  o  o 

more  gentty.  As  I  was  carried  through  clouds, 
illumined  by  the  morning  sun,  which  ascended 
sweetly  as  incense  from  the  altar  of  devotion,  I  was 
seized  with  indescribable  sensations,  elevating  emo- 
tions, comparable  to  nothing — partaking  of  no  other 
event  of  which  history  has  any  record,  except  the 
transit  of  a  perfect  man,  who  passed  beyond  the 
realms  of  space,  and  never  returned.  It  is  mate- 
rialized enjoyment,  the  realization  of  momentary 
happiness,  at  peace  with  all  the  world;  our  feelings 
are  pure  like  the  air  that  surrounds  us,  which  comes 
direct  from  its  heavenly  home  on  cloud-like  wings. 
If  permitted  to  live  longer,  I  feel  prepared  to 
tread  paths  of  life  with  fortified  strength,  meet- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          419 

ing  its  exigencies  "with  a  more  calm  and  virtuous 
majesty."  If  the  angel  of  death  were  to  come,  he 
would  find  me  ready  in  feelings — the  mowing-blade 
of  Time  could  cut  me  down  and  swing  me  off  with- 
out a  pang.  Every  sound  appears  harmonious,  from 
the  bird-orchestra,  tuned  by  the  voice  of  God,  to 
the  cricket  that  chirps  from  the  rock-wall  as  we 
pass. 

That  remarkable  cavern  of  El  Cucva  de  Bdlamar 
was  discovered  over  twenty  years  since,  under  the 
following  circumstances:  A  slave,  having  been  en- 
gaged in  the  preparation  of  a  lirne-kiln,  accidentally 
dropped  one  of  his  tools  in  a  cavity  near  the  place 
where  he  had  been  collecting  rock.  Hoping  soon 
to  recover  it,  for  fear  of  punishment,  he  commenced 
reaching  where  he  had  last  seen  it.  All  his  efforts 
proved  useless.  He  then  threw  in  rocks,  which 
were  a  long  time  finding  soundings.  The  next  day 
excavations  were  made,  which  revealed  a  cave  over 
two  hundred  feet  perpendicular  below  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  and  a  mile  in  length.  This  remarkable 
subterranean  passage  has,  no  doubt,  been  the  work 
of  centuries,  the  water  dripping  on  the  lime-rock, 
which  dissolved  it — all  these  beautiful  transforma- 
tions taking  place  in  midnight  darkness,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  great  Architect  whose  omnipotent 
hand  formed  all  things,  whether  above  or  under  the 
earth.  While  descending  the  steps  which  lead  into 
the  cave,  a  singular  phenomenon  is  observable.  It 
is  an  intense,  stifling  heat,  which  increases  as  we  ad- 
vance, and  oppresses  us  until  we  become  accustomed 
to  it.  This  descent  may  be  compared  to  an  ap- 


420          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

proach  into  the  lower  regions — the  torches  in  the 
hands  of  our  guides  flickering  and  snapping  like 
fiery  serpents.  Any  fears  of  having  found  the 
realm  of  his  Satanic  majesty  are  soon  dispelled  by 
the  prismatic  view  presented  to  us.  As  we  enter 
the  cave  two  avenues  describing  a  triangle  are  seen, 
it.  being  the  commencement  of  an  apex  with  con- 
verging lines,  which  terminate  not  in  regions  in- 
ferno, but  the  "Devil's  Gorge,"  near  which  stands 
El  Organ,  with  its  silent  pipes  reaching  to  the  dome. 
"We  come  in  contact  with  rough  edges  on  every 
side,  while  narrow  passes  almost  obstruct  our  prog- 
ress, when  suddenly  we  are  ushered  into  El  Cathe- 
dro,  forty  feet  in  height,  and  nearly  the  same  in 
length,  with  a  variable  width  of  twenty  feet.  Here 
is  found  the  basin  of  holy  water,  blessed  by  no 
earthly  priest,  fed  by  a  fountain  whose  innermost 
recesses  have  never  been  penetrated,  or  measureless 
depths  fathomed.  The  palace  halls  of  princely 
dwellings,  decked  with  costly  gems  of  priceless 
value,  shine  with  no  more  dazzling  luster  than  the 
icicle-shaped  pendants  of  snowy  whiteness  hanging 
from  the  arch  and  sides  of  this  remarkable  under- 
ground temple.  The  stalactites  in  many  places 
form  solid  columns  of  transparent  crystals,  which 
meet  the  stalagmites,  and  extend  to  the  earth. 
Oyster-shells  and  sea-urchins  of  immense  size  are 
found  imbedded  in  the  rocks,  which  demonstrate 
that  this  has  been  the  home  of  the  restless  sea, 
where  old  Xeptune  combed  his  "hoary  locks,"  and 
beat  his  foaming  billows.  To  enter  this  subterra- 
nean cavern  seems  like  standing  on  the  brink  of  a 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          421 

volcano,  our  only  hope  of  escape  being  a  fickle 
llame  extinguished  by  a  breath,  looking  into  the 
domains  of  futurity,  not  knowing  how  soon  we 
might  be  called  upon  to  try  its  realities.  No  one 
can  conceive  the  period  of  time  which  has  been 
consumed  in  the  production  of  this  remarkable  for- 
mation— a  drop  of  water,  containing  the  fractional 
part  of  a  grain  of  lime,  leaving  an  imperceptible 
deposit  in  its  downward  course,  thus  forming  the 
stalactites  and  stalagmites  of  fantastic  forms  and 
delicate  proportions,  which  the  ingenuity  of  no  hu- 
man hand,  however  skillful,  can  imitate.  A  kind 
of  awe-inspiring  sensation  seizes  our  minds  while 
surrounded  by  the  oppressive  stillness  in  these 
depths,  where  mighty  forces  are  fulfill  ing  their  great 
purposes  in  producing  mountains  by  infinitesimal 
accessions. 

As  we  approach  the  lake,  the  atmosphere  becomes 
cooler,  when  a  virgin  sheet  of  water  presents  itself, 
on  whose  surface  no  heavenly  zephyr  has  ever 
danced,  or  rude  winds  plunged  into  maddening 
strife.  Here,  stretched  before  us,  is  a  body  of  wa- 
ter nearly  two  hundred  feet  long,  thirty  feet  in 
width,  and  eighteen  feet  in  depth;  while  firmly  at- 
tached to  its  bed  are  blooms  perennial  as  the  plants 
of  paradise,  resembling  double  dahlias,  not  less  than 
eight  inches  in  circumference,  with  variegated  pe- 
tals of  delicate  pink,  violet,  and  straw  color — the 
coloring  attributable,  no  doubt,  to  the  mineral  de- 
posit contained  in  the  waters  which  trickle  from 
above.  As  we  gaze  into  its  pearly  depths,  we  are 
impressed  with  the  thought  that  here  all  is  peace. 


422          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Many  visitors  who  come  here  have  the  grasping 
relic-hunting  propensity  so  strongly  developed  for 
wanting  every  thing  attractive  which  they  see,  that 
they  can  only  be  restrained  from  breaking  the  finest 
stalactites  by  the  guides  threatening  to  extinguish 
the  lights,  which  is  sufficient  to  terrify  into  submis- 
sion the  stoutest  sea  captain  that  ever  walked  the 
quarter-deck  of  a  vessel,  or  any  of  his  attaches.  As 
in  other  explored  caverns,  names  have  been  given 
by  the  natives  to  the  different  formations  found 
here,  which  so  nearly  resemble  English  that  they 
can  be  readily  translated.  The  resemblance  of  these 
curious  figures  to  the  objects  indicated  by  the  names 
they  bear  are  sufficiently  striking  to  produce  an  in- 
creased emotion  of  admiration : 

"Cathedral  de  San  Pablo." 

"Manto  de  la  Virgen." 

"La  Sagua  bordado." 

"El  Organ." 

"El  bano  de  la  Americana." 

"Los  Apostles." 

"El  Altar  de  la  Virgen." 

"El  Confession ario." 

"La  Boca  del  Diablo." 

The  almost  overpowering  glare  of  sunshine,  ac- 
companied with  other  unpleasant  sensations,  result- 
ing from  a  return  to  the  outside  world,  was  a  dis- 
agreeable reminder  that  I  had  not  been  translated, 
or  presented  with  a  new  body  which  never  ached, 
or  a  heart  that  always  beat  in  harmonic  measures 
to  the  tasks  imposed  on  it.  Persons  must  never 
imagine  that  no  rough  places  are  to  be  gone  over, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         423 

or  fatigue  endured,  when  exploring  the  recesses  of 
this  wonderful  cavern ;  but  all  slight  obstacles  over- 
come will  amply  repay  those  who  make  this  cave  a 
visit.  It  is  about  a  league  distant  from  Matanzas, 
accessible  by  land  or  water. 

We  will  now  have  to  descend  upon  our  light 
wings  of  ecstatic  admiration  and  delight  to  the 
plainer  realities  of  earth.  The  bay,  like  a  restless 
spirit,  always  in  motion,  rolls  up  its  deposits  of  sea- 
weed and  shells  almost  under  the  volante  wheels  as 
we  pass,  while  the  golden  waves  of  borrowed  bright- 
ness, reflected  from  the  shining  orb  of  day,  rise  to 
recede  again,  and  keep  time  to  the  evolutions  of  the 
great  universe,  of  which  they  form  a  part. 


424          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

departed  from  Matanzas  shortly  after  our 
return  from  the  cave.  The  scenery  along 
the  route  to  Havana  leaves  the  impression 
that  the  country  is  declining.  The  buz- 
zards fly  close  to  the  train,  apparently 
gentle  escorts,  and  sufficiently  numerous  to  be  the 
national  emblem — a  heavy  fine  being  the  penalty  for 
injuring  one  of  these  scavengers.  They  are  styled 
the  red-crested  vultures  of  Cuba,  for  grandeur. 

The  island  is  surrounded  by  a  chain  of  keys,  reefs, 
and  shoals,  which  make  it  inaccessible  except  to  the 
experienced  pilot.  Havana  was  permanently  settled 
by  Velasquez,  and  named  in  1519.  At  the  point  of 
entrance  to  the  bay  is  a  rock  on  which  stands  El 
Moro,  or  Castellos  de  los  Santos  Reyes,  the  light- 
house, and  signal-station,  where  an  excellent,  revolv- 
ing light  can  be  seen  from  a  distance  of  more  than 
twenty  miles.  The  following  description  is  given  of 
Moro  Castle  when  it  was  first  built:  "It  was  of  tri- 
angular shape,  containing  some  heavy  pieces  of  ord- 
nance, which  produced  a  perceptible  quaking  in  the 
vicinity  when  fired."  Forty  pieces  of  cannon,  of 
twenty-four  pounds  each,  were  mounted  on  the  par- 
apet. From  the  main  castle  there  runs  a  line,  or 
wall,  mounted  with  twelve  very  long  pieces  of  can- 
non, lying  almost  level  with  the  water.  These  arc 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         425 

all  thirty-six-poun tiers,  and  most  of  them  brass,  be- 
ing called  "The  Twelve  Apostles"  by  way  of  emi- 
nence. At  the  point  between  this  castle  and  the  sea 
stands  a  tower  having  a  round  lantern  at  the  top, 
where  a  sentinel  is  constantly  on  duty  to  see  what 
ships  are  approaching  the  harbor,  of  which  he  sig- 
nals by  hoisting  as  many  flags  as  they  are  in  number. 
In  1691  the  whole  fort  was  surrounded  by  a  moat 
filled  with  water,  when  it  was  captured  and  destroyed 
by  an  English  fleet  under  Sir  George  Pocock,  after 
a  siege  of  twenty-nine  days,  at  which  time  a  thousand 
Spaniards  were  killed.  The  present  Castle  del  Moro 
guards  the  bay  on  the  east  side,  and  is  able  to  resist 
all  attacks  by  sea,  having  two  bastions  toward  the 
water,  and  two  on  the  land  side.  Around  this  old 
structure  lingers  as  many  unpleasant  memories  as  the 
Venetian  Bridge  of  Sighs,  which  led  from  the  pal- 
ace to  the  prison — it  being  the  prevailing  opinion 
that  whoever  crossed  it  never  returned.  Those 
against  whom  any  accusation  can  be  brought  of  suf- 
ficient magnitude  to  tlu-ust  them  in  the  Moro  will 
find  the  chances  greatly  against  their  ever  seeing  the 
outside  world  again,  or  enjoying  their  freedom.  An- 
other castle,  built  opposite  this,  is  called  El  Punta. 
This  communicates  with  the  city,  and  is  usually  well 
filled  with  soldiery.  It  has  four  regular  bastions, 
and  a  platform  mounted  with  sixty  pieces  of  brass 
cannon. 

The  city  of  Havana,  a  hundred  years  since,  was 

the  most  important  port  in  America  for  the  Spanish 

commerce,  where  a  thousand  ships  could  anchor  in 

nearly  forty  feet  of  water,  it  then  being  a  rendezvous 

* 


426          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

for  other  fleets  when  coming  from  the  Spanish  pos- 
sessions of  the  Western  Continent.  All  the  Span- 
ish galleons  and  merchant-ships  met  at  this  point 
every  year,  in  September,  to  obtain  supplies  and  wa- 
ter, that  the}'  might  return  to  Spain  together.  They 
held  a  kind  of  carnival  during  their  stay,  which  lasted 
until  a  proclamation  from  the  governor  was  issued, 
forbidding  any  who  belonged  to  the  ships  remain- 
ing in  the  city  on  pain  of  death,  and  at  a  given  sig- 
nal they  all  retired  on  board.  This  fleet  was  regarded 
the  richest  in  the  world,  carrying  several  million 
pounds  sterling.  They  came  from  Spain  laden  with 
merchandise,  and  were  frequently  attacked  by  pirates 
and  buccaneers.  These  galleons  were  only  factors 
for  the  other  countries  among  which  this  wealth  was 
distributed  when  they  made  a  successful  voyage.  In 
1796  the  Santo  Domingo  massacre  drove  twelve  thou- 
sand families  to  Havana,  which  now  has  a  population 
of  two  hundred  thousand.  The  dwellings  are  built 
entirely  of  rock,  or  brick,  which  is  furnished  from 
the  island.  The  substantial  manner  in  which  the 
most  common  tenements  are  constructed  is  really  re- 
markable, looking  as  though  they"  were  designed  to 
last  forever.  The  style  of  architecture  now  in  use 
was  originally  of  Moorish  origin.  The  windows  de- 
scend from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor,  with  iron  rods 
extending  the  whole  length,  more  nearly  resembling 
cages  for  wild  beasts,  but  are  retreats  from  which 
beauty  casts  many  sly  glances.  In  private  residences 
curtains  are  drawn  during  the  day,  but  in  stores  and 
market-houses  the  windows  and  doors  are  closed  only 
at  night,  thus  exposing  the  inside  movements  of  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          427 

occupants  all  day.  The  dwellings  for  private  resi- 
dences have  only  one  entrance  for  man  or  beast. 
The  mistress  and  volante  come  in  together,  when 
the  horse  is  stabled  on  the  first  floor,  and  the  lady 
walks  up-stairs  to  her  parlor.  The  narrow  streets  and 
narrower  sidewalks  keep  the  minds  of  visitors  in  a 
constant  state  of  trepidation  for  fear  of  seeing  some 
one  crushed  under  the  fast-moving  vehicles.  The 
mules,  while  waiting  for  a  load,  turn  their  heads 
from  instinct,  to  let  conveyances  pass.  Gradually 
the  city  proper  has  crossed  the  old  wall  boundaries, 
and  now  the  outside  is  more  attractive  in  appearance 
than  inside.  Soldiers  are  seen  all  about  the  city, 
but  they  are  very  peaceable.  A  censorship  is  kept 
over  the  newspapers,  and  letters  from  way-stations 
are  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  mail  agent,  in- 

o  » 

stead  of  bags,  while  a  dark  veil  conceals  its  politics 
and  movements,  in  every  way  cherishing  with  jeal- 
ous care  the  condition  of  all  its  internal  troubles. 

El  San  Carlos  is  situated  nearest  the  bay,  and  most 
convenient  for  travelers.  This  hotel  is  four  stories 
high,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  Moro, 
where  we  are  now  promenading  for  the  purpose  of 
sight-seeing.  The  roofs  of  the  houses  are  mostly 
flat,  and  a  favorite  resort  after  sunset.  The  sur- 
rounding scenes  entertain  us.  Children  and  chick- 
ens are  seen  in  close  proximity  on  the  neighboring 
house-tops,  where  they  live  and  sport  apparently 
happy  and  hearty  in  their  contracted  boundaries. 
This  resort  being  protected  by  a  high  wall  around 
the  outside,  which  prevents  any  accident  to  the  oc- 
cupants, whole  families  resort  here  to  smoke  and 


428          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

talk,  it  being  more  private  than  any  fresh-air  resort 
on  the  premises.  The  rear  of  all  the  residences  is 
a  kind  of  labyrinthian  retreat  of  avenues,  accessible 
by  an  indescribable  variety  of  movements,  together 
with  flights  of  steps  of  different  altitudes.  In  these 
coverts  swarms  of  human  beings  are  born,  live,  and 
die,  in  this  condensed  condition,  regardless  of  com- 
forts. At  night,  when  the  curtains  are  raised,  heads 
are  seen  in  these  tenements  as  thick  as  rows  of  pins 
in  a  paper.  Neither  stoves  nor  fire-places  are  used 
in  Havana:  the  cooking  is  done  on  a  furnace  in  the 
back-yard  —  charcoal,  made  by  the  colliers  in  the 
mountains,  being  the  only  fuel  required. 

The  firing  of  heavy  cannon  from  the  English  man- 
of-war  anchored  in  the  bay,  and  echoed  by  the  Moro 
guns,  agitate  our  thoughts  and  break  the  quiet  of 
the  dying  day.  The  panorama  before  us  is  changing. 
An  invisible  hand  behind  the  scene  has  dropped  a 
shadow  over  the  light  of  day  draped  in  its  brilliant 
and  gorgeous  glories.  When  the  curtain  rises  again, 
the  Queen  of  Night,  more  lovely  than  any  queen  of 
kingdoms,  arrayed  in  her  robes  of  royalty — for  God 
has  dressed  her  with  the  glories  of  heaven — appears, 
reflecting  her  full  orb  in  the  water,  when  an  unbroken 
trail  of  silvery  light  apparently  connects  the  two 
worlds.  El  Paseo,  where  the  wealth  and  fashion  of 
the  city  come  at  the  close  of  the  day  for  an  airing, 
where  are  seen  the  beautiful  senoritas,  their  eyes 
sparkling  with  the  bright  thoughts  of  their  hearts, 
giving  signals  to  their  friends  and  lovers  with  their 
fans,  which  are  readily  comprehended  and  returned, 
although  not  a  word  has  been  spoken.  The  liveried 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          429 

postilions,  with  jack-boots,  bare  legs,  brass  buttons, 
and  blue  coats,  accompany  the  Cuban  volantes  in 
which  they  ride.  This  vehicle  has  been  superseded 
to  a  considerable  extent  by  a  lighter  conveyance 
known  as  "El  Coche,"  or  the  French  coach.  This 
coach  is  capable  of  containing  two  persons  with  ease  ; 
sometimes  three  are  seen  riding  in  it.  A  screen  of 
canvas,  buttoned  to  the  back  of  the  driver's  high 
seat,  and  then  fastened  to  the  top  of  the  conveyance, 
excludes  the  rude  gaze  of  the  vulgar,  gaping  throngs, 
through  which  we  are  driven.  The  residence  of  the 
Captain-general  is  situated  on  the  edge  of  El  Paseo 
Militaire.  Here,  amid  the  song  of  birds  from  the 
aviary,  the  falling  waters  of  the  cascade,  cooling 
echoes  from  the  numerous  jets  d'eau  and  fountains, 
the  sweet  odors  that  freight  the  air  from  the  flowers, 
and  the  picturesque  landscape  over  which  the  royal 
palms  watch  with  their  waving  wands,  we  should  ex- 
pect to  find  the  home  of  happy  hearts.  It  is  quite 
the  reverse:  the  general  has  a  care-worn  visage,  be- 
neath which  beats  a  troubled  heart.  lie  rides  in  a 
fine  coach  drawn  by  matched  iron-grays,  and  guarded 
by  armed  postilions.  He  walks  with  an  escort,  for 
his  kingdom  is  filled  with  insurrection.  He  is  in- 
vested with  almost  unlimited  power,  being  in  com- 
mand of  the  civil,  military,  and  religious  authorities, 
and  from  his  decision  there  is  no  appeal. 

Many  tourists  appear  desirous  of  getting  over  the 
greatest  amount  of  space  in  the  least  possible  time.  It 
was  that  class  of  persons  composed  our  party  in  visit- 
ing this  object  of  interest.  How  they  rushed  about  as 
though  a  policeman  was  on  their  track,  in  hot  pur- 


430          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

suit,  and  they  could  not  stop  to  look  at  any  thing! 
"0  supper  will  be  ready!"  they  kept  constantly  ex- 
claiming, as  though  eating  was  the  sole  object  of 
their  existence.  El  Salle  de  los  Mercaderes  is  the 
street  on  which  the  banks  are  located,  the  ladies  re- 
sorting there  only  in  their  volantes  and  coaches  for 
the  purpose  of  shopping.  They  never  display  their 
charms  by  alighting;  it  would  be  considered  immod- 
est :  all  goods  which  they  wish  to  examine  are  brought 
to  them  while  seated  in  their  conveyances.  The  pre- 
vailing religion  here  is  Catholic.  Several  years  since 
this  city  contained  more  priests  than  people,  more 
holidays  than  working  ones — this  kind  of  govern- 
ment basis  requiring  indulgence  in  order  to  insure 
allegiance.  The  scenes  enacted  on  Sunday  in  the 
market-house  are  the  same  as  on  other  days.  The 
cobbler,  seated  on  his  bench  at  the  door,  made  fun  of 
us  as  we  entered,  thinking  we  could  not  comprehend 
him.  '•'•Sombreros  Americanos!'"  said  he.  I  looked  at 
him,  repeating  the  words,  "  Vaya  usted" — Begone! 
when,  as  if  taken  aback,  he  ceased  his  impudence 
and  commenced  sewing.  What  a  profusion  of  fruits 
is  seen  here!  bushels  of  oranges,  immense  bunches 
of  bananas,  cocoa-nuts  by  the  wagon-load,  plantains 
— until  we  wonder  what  will  be  done  with  them  all — 
but  when  fried  they  form  an  important  article  of  diet 
among  the  Cubans — besides  many  fruits  for  which 
we  cannot  find  a  name  or  use.  Meats  of  any  kind 
were  not  exposed  in  quantities,  but  much  fish,  among 
which  the  gar  appeared  most  abundant.  Much  of 
this  produce  is  brought  here  in  panniers  on  the  backs 
of  mules  or  horses,  while  long  linos  of  moving  bun- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          431 


dies  come  filing  in,  with  the  animals  that  bear  them 
invisible,  except  their  legs.  These  pack-mules  are 
more  used  than  wagons,  on  account  of  the  narrow 
streets,  the  danger  in  passing  being  less  than  with 
loaded  vehicles.  The  amount  sold  to  each  purchaser 
appears  small:  a  piece  of  meat  wrapped  in  a  paper, 
and  a  little  fruit  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief,  is  all. 
When  a  purchase  is  made  a  present  is  expected, 
which  they  call  cuntra.  In  proceeding  to  the  ca- 
thedral we  pass  the  stores  and  shops,  all  of  which 
are  open.  The  tail- 
or sits,  with  his  legs 
crossed,  sewing  as 
earnestly  as  though 
he  was  repeating  his 
Paternoster.  They 
are  all  Roman  Cath- 
olics, who  have  al- 
ready been  to  receive 
the  supposed  requi- 
site supply  of  grace 
for  the  week,  arid  have  now  returned  to  their  busi- 
ness vocations.  The  drinking -saloons  are  open, 
with  their  patrons  in  full  view,  seated  at  the  marble- 
topped  tables,  chatting  with  their  friends,  their  fa- 
vorite beverages  in  front  of  them,  while  the  blind 
beggar,  with  his  wife,  stands  outside  singing  Span- 
ish ballads.  The  drays  and  wagons  are  not  running, 
which  is  all  the  contrast  between  work-days  and 
Sunday  in  Havana.  The  proximity  between  wealth 
and  misery  here  is  close,  and  the  contrast  so  visibly 
marked  that  the  impression- received  is  more  lasting 


A  CUBAN    ORANGE-MARKETER. 


432  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunmj  Climes. 

than  in  America.  Beggars  expostulate  and  impor- 
tune us  until  our  hearts  sicken  with  the  sight  of  our 
surroundings.  "Lottera!"  is  cried  on  every  side  hy 
miserable-looking  men  and  women  selling  tickets, 
which  may  be  blanks  or  prizes,  to  be  tested  in  the 
great  Havana  Lottery. 

The  cathedral  occupies  a  fine  position  in  the  city, 
being  located  in  the  Calle  dellgnocio.  It  has  stood  so 
long,  and  withstood  so  much,  that  it  has  become  an 
historic  record,  uniting  the  past  and  present.  Here 
happy  hearts  have  plighted  their  vows,  and  many 
times  the  last  tribute  of  tenderness  rendered  to 
loved  ones.  Here  the  faithful  follower  of  this  re- 
ligion has  counted  her  beads,  while  the  penitent 
knelt,  confessing  his  crimes,  and  tarried  for  absolu- 
tion. It  contains  numerous  altars  devoted  to  differ- 
ent saints.  In  rear  of  the  cathedral  is  a  monastery 
for  the  Padres.  The  cathedral,  with  its  mystical 
scenes,  causes  our  thoughts  to  revert  to  the  times  of 
Aaron,  when,  with  his  priestly  vestments  trimmed 
with  tinkling  bells  and  pomegranates,  he  stood  be- 
fore the  altar  and  burned  incense  as  an  oblation 
for  the  sins  of  the  people.  The  plate  and  ornaments 
of  the  main  altar  are  silver  and  gold.  The  candelabra 
are  of  the  most  curious  workmanship — some  of  them 
weighing  nearly  a  hundred  pounds.  The  bishop, 
assisted  by  twenty-four  fathers  and  acolytes,  con- 
ducted the  service.  Mass  was  read  in  Latin,  the 
acolytes  composed  the  choir,  the  members  respond- 
ing audibly.  Worship,  like  other  things  in  Cuba, 
is  conducted  with  a  zest.  The  number  of  worship- 
ers in  attendance  was  small.  Those  who  came  as- 


Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes.          433 

sumcd  the  most  devotional  of  attitudes,  kneeling, 
during  the  entire  service,  in  a  promiscuous  man- 
ner, on  the  hard  tiles,  if  they  had  not  provided 
themselves  with  soft  rugs  for  the  occasion.  I  could 
not  determine  where  the  line  of  distinction  in 
color  was  drawn — white  and  black  all  supplicating 
together.  The  most  elaborately-dressed  senoras  and 
senoritas  bend  before  the  confessional.  A  poorly- 
dressed  Cuban  woman,  among  the  number,  kept 
prostrating  herself  lower  and  lower  until  she  kissed 
the  marble  tiling,  when  she  rose  with  a  look  of  sat- 
isfaction, as  though  the  act  of  humiliation  had  un- 
burdened her  soul.  The  organ  sent  forth  its  thun- 
dering tones  from  behind  the  colossal  pillars,  play- 
ing the  "TeDcum"  and  "Jlliserere" — thus  enabling 
us  to  comprehend,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  grandeur 
of  the  music  at  St.  Peter's  Church  in  Rome. 

On  the  right  of  the  main  altar  is  a  tablet,  on  which 
is  engraved  the  following  inscription:  "0  restos  e  y 
imagen  del  grande  Colon!  Mil  siglos  duraran  guard- 
ados  en  la  urna  y  en  la  remembranza  de  nuestra  nation." 
"  O  ashes  and  image  of  the  great  Columbus  !  You 
will  be  guarded  for  a  thousand  centuries  in  the  tomb 
and  in  the  heart  of  our  nation."  The  great  injustice 
done  him  while  living  cannot  be  atoned  for  now  when 
dead  by  dragging  his  remains  about  the  world.  lie 
died  in  Valladolid,  Spain,  where  he  was  buried.  His 
body  was  exhumed  and  taken  to  Seville,  then  to  Santo 
Domingo — afterward,  with  great  ceremony,  to  Cuba, 
and  deposited  in  the  cathedral,  where  it  will,  no 
doubt,  be  kept  until  some  other  idea  seizes  the 
minds  of  his  impulsive  countrymen.  The  cathedral 


434          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

walls  are  hung  with  the  choicest  of  peaceful,  benign 
portraits,  of  their  glorified  saints,  looking  with  calm- 
ness upon  us.  Among  the  number  is  a  life-size, 
finely-executed  painting  of  St.  Christopher,  or  Santo 
Christobal,  who  flourished  during  the  third  century 
A.D.,  and  is  the  guardian  saint  of  Havana.  Im- 
mense statues  of  St.  Christopher  are  still  to  be  seen 
in  many  cathedrals.  He  is  always  represented  as 
girded,  with  staff  in  hand,  for  a  journey,  which  gives 
expression  to  his  allegoric  wanderings  through  the 
sea  of  tribulation,  by  which  the  faithful  intended  to 
signify  the  many  sufferings  passed  before  he  arrived 
at  the  Eternal  Gate. 

This  saint  was  formerly  implored  against  pesti- 
lential misfortunes  or  distempers.  He  adopted  the 
name  of  St.  Christopher  as  an  inestimable  treasure. 
His  martyrdom  is  commemorated  on  the  9th  of 
May.  Many  paradoxical  things  are  related  of  him  : 
"That  he  was  a  giant  with  a  dog's  head,  and  de- 
voured men,  but  a  transformation  occurred  when 
he  believed  on  Christ.  He  is  said  to  have  been  in- 
structed from  heaven  in  the  way  of  right;  that  he 
was  baptized  by  the  moisture  in  a  cloud  which  came 
from  the  sky,  an  invisible  voice  uttering  the  sacra- 
mental words."  He  is  related  as  having  had  nu- 
merous contentions  with  Satan — his  majesty's  pres- 
ence only  being  kept  at  bay  by  crossing  himself. 
He  was  advised  b}-  a  hermit,  as  an  act  of  penance,  to 
pray.  "That  I  cannot  do,"  he  replied.  "Then 
you  must  carry  travelers  over  deep  rivers."  While 
performing  his  assigned  tasks  a  child  applied  to 
him,  to  whom,  when  seated,  he  said,  "You  seem 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          435 

heavy  as  the  whole  world."  The  child  replied,  "  I 
created  the  world,  I  redeemed  the  world,  I  bear  the 
sins  of  the  world."  Then  Christopher  saw  that  he 
had  borne  Christ  over  the  river,  and  for  this  reason 
he  is  always  represented  with  the  infant  Jesus  on 
his  shoulders.  It  was  common,  during  the  Middle 
Ages,  to  place  effigies  of  him  in  statuary  outside 
the  gates  of  a  city,  as  he  who  looked  on  this  figure 
of  St.  Christopher  was  safe  from  sudden  death  that 
day.  The  following  inscription  accompanies  the 
figure  of  St.  Christopher: 

Christophori  sancti  faciem  quicumque  tuetur. 
Ilia  nempe  die  non  morte  male  morietur. 

Monday  morning  I  ordered  a  coach  for  the  pur- 
pose of  visiting  Cemetario  de  Espeda,  named  for  an 
ancient  bishop  in  Havana.  The  entrance  to  this 
cemetery  is  through  a  fine  rock  archway,  designed 
only  for  pedestrians,  and  not  carriages.  The  office 
has  to  be  passed,  and  money  handed  in,  before  any 
corpse  has  a  Christian  burial  in  these  consecrated 
grounds.  Whatever  might  have  been  their  virtues 
while  living,  the  dead  one  here  is  to  have  wealth  to 
take  the  body  into  a  vault  and  the  soul  through  pur- 
gatory. This  cemetery  contains  not  less  than  fifty 
acres  of  ground,  around  which  is  built  a  rock  wall 
eight  feet  in  height  and  about  the  same  thickness. 
These  walls  are  made  of  well-dressed  rock,  in  which 
are  vaults  for  interment.  Inside  the  main  inclos- 
ure  are  built  other  high  walls  for  the  same  purpose. 
Paved  walks  cross  each  other  through  the  grounds, 
covered  with  square-cut  rock,  which  give  a  hollow 
echo  when  stepped  upon,  and,  no  doubt,  contain 


436          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

other  tombs.  Vaults  of  sufficient  size  to  admit  a 
coffin  are  made  in  all  these  walls,  which  are  after- 
ward sealed,  then  a  tablet  of  marble  is  fitted  in, 
being  secured  with  mortar,  on  which  is  placed  the 
inscription,  chiseled  in  Spanish.  This  tablet  is  ar- 
ranged in  accordance  with  the  taste  of  the  friends 
of  those  deceased  who  survive  them.  Some  con- 
tain glass  cases,  with  pictures  of  the  Virgin  ;  others, 
wreaths  of  black  beads  strung  on  wire,  hung  over  the 
tomb.  In  one  I  saw  a  chameleon  cozily  ensconced,  as 
though  the  wreath  was  made  for  him.  Lizards  were 
crawling  in  all  directions;  harmless  little  creatures, 
they  liked  the  retirement  of  death's  victims  !  The 
inscriptions  were  mostly  very  simple.  Here  are 
two  of  them:  "A  NUESTRO  QUEEIDO,  IIIJO 
TOM."  "To  our  beloved  son  Thomas."  "IIIJA, 
MIA."  "My  beloved  daughter."  'No  mounds  of 
earth  mark  the  resting-place  of  any.  Many  birds 
of  varied  plumage  were  singing  their  songs  among 
the  roses,  cape  jasmines,  pride  of  China,  and  mi- 
mosa trees. 

As  we  alighted,  two  bodies  had  just  preceded  us 
into  the  cemetery  for  deposit — a  rich  and  a  poor  man, 
distinguishable  by  distinctions  in  death  as  in  life. 
The  rich  man  was  in  a  fine  casket,  with  his  name 
engraved  on  the  lid,  and  six  silver  handles,  borne 
by  liveried  attendants,  dressed  in  black  clothes, 
trimmed  with  wide  white  stripes.  No  women  were 
present,  but  a  large  number  of  dignified -looking 
Spanish  gentlemen.  The  casket  was  placed  in  a 
vault,  after  which  workmen,  with  brick  and  mortar, 
commenced  closing  up  the  orifice,  which  was  wit- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          437 

nessed  by  those  in  attendance  until  it  was  finished, 
•when  they  retired  with  the  same  manifestations  of 
grief  as  though  a  dead  leaf  had  dropped  from  a  tree. 
The  poor  man  was  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  four 
rough-looking  fellows,  who  grunted  as  though  the 
body  might  have  weighed  a  ton.  The}*  trotted 
away  into  a  corner  with  the  bones,  and  no  mourn- 
ers, as  if  it  were  a  log,  instead  of  a  human  being, 
where  once  dwelt  the  breath  and  likeness  ot  the 
Eternal  God. 

A  hundred  dollars  is  considered  a  remuneration 
for  the  use  of  a  vault  twenty  years — at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time,  if  there  is  no  renewal  of  funds, 
the  remains  are  taken  out  and  thrown  into  a  com- 
mon pit,  or  potter's-h'eld,  where  the  poor  are  buried 
without  coffins.  The  corpse  of  a  pretty  little  girl, 
dressed  in  white,  her  head  wreathed  in  flowers,  was 
brought  in  a  coffin  with  no  cover,  accompanied  by 
a  few  poor,  sad  friends,  when  a  rock  tablet  was 
raised  by  means  of  ropes  drawn  through  iron  rings, 
and  the  child's  body  thrown  into  a  deep  pit — the 
coffin  being  taken  away,  which  could  be  used  again 

O  \J   '  ~ 

in  bringing  many  more  poor  children  for  burial. 
Protestants  are  not  permitted  sepulture  here,  on  any 
consideration,  if  the  fact  is  known  to  those  in  charge. 
We  retired  from  this  "garden  of  slumberers"  to 
the  entrance,  where  sat  the  Padres,  one  of  whom 
smiled  and  called  el  cache  with  a  peculiar  p-s-t-s-c-h, 
which  sound  goes  whizzing  through  the  air  like  a 
rocket. 

There  are  persons  with  whom  we  meet  in  life 
whose  smile  means  mischief,  whose  friendly  grasp 


438          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

is  a  covering  for  treachery,  which  fact  is,  alas  !  true 
in  regard  to  the  Cubans,  for  they  rarely  mean  what 
they  say  to  you.  Ah  !  it  was  only  a  promise.  Then 
there  is  so  little  manifestation  of  repentance  with 
them,  if  you  are  disappointed.  They  pile  up  ex- 
cuses for  all  untoward  acts  until  you  are  led  to  be- 
lieve it  was  not  a  reality — only  a  mistaken  idea  of 
your  imagination. 

It  is  thus  in  Havana.  Orders  are  given  to  be 
called  in  time  for  the  early  train.  Soon  after  retir- 
ing, peaceful  slumbers  possess  your  body  and  pleas- 
ant dreams  your  mind,  until  finally,  on  awakening, 
you  come  to  realize  the  facts  that  too  much  time  has 
passed,  the  train  gone,  and  a  day  longer  before  you, 
where  the  thought  of  remaining  had  not  crossed  your 
mind.  It  appears  to  be  a  preconcerted  plan,  on  the 
part  of  landlords,  to  retain  paying  patrons.  Persons 
having  a  large  amount  of  patience  will  find  frequent 
exercise  for  it  \vhile  traveling  in  Cuba. 


A  Ramble  into  the  Early  History  of  Florida. 


N"  trying  to  ascertain  the  distribution  of 
tribes  during  the  early  explorations  of  the 
Florida  settlers,  we  feel  as  though  the  veil 
of  obscurity  had  never  been  lifted.  How- 
ever, three  divisions  have  been  traced,  with 
some  degree  of  certainty,  after  the  extinction  of  the 
original  Caribs,  or  Cannibals,  whose  works  are  seen 
so  extensively  on  the  St.  John's  and  sea-coast  of  Flor- 
ida. In  the  northern  part  lived  the  Temuncas,  on 
the  eastern  coast  the  Ais,  and  the  Cobooras  on  the 
south-western.  It  was  these  Indians  who  were  found 
occupying  the  soil  when  the  Spanish  and  French 
explorers  first  landed  on  the  new  continent.  Their 
presence  in  this  country  was,  and  still  continues  to 
be,  an  unsolved  mystery.  Different  tribes  have 
their  peculiar  legends,  which  date  back  for  centu- 
ries. Some  of  them  say  their  ancestors  walked  out 
from  a  cave ;  others,  that  they  came  from  the  clouds, 
consequently  were  of  heavenly  origin. 

Whatever  may  have  formerly  been  the  difference 
of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  first  discoverer  of  Flor- 
ida, the  honor  is  now  awarded  to  Sebastian  Cabot, 
who  was  born  in  Bristol,  England,  A.D.  1477.  He 

(439) 


440          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

was  the  son  of  John  Cabot,  a  Venetian  pilot,  who  in 
the  pursuit  of  his  vocation  spent  a  portion  of  his 
time  in  Italy,  but  his  home  was  in  England;  hence 
the  erroneous  statement  made  by  writers  that  he 
was  a  Venetian.  The  fact  has  been  well  authenti- 
cated that  the  continent  of  America  was  discovered 
by  Cabot,  1497,  although  Columbus  first  landed  on 
some  of  the  islands.  England  poorly  requited  Cabot 
for  the  great  discovery  of  the  Xew  World.  Henry 
VII. — whose  ruling  passion  was  parsimony — then 
being  king,  could  not  comprehend  the  magnificent 
prize  which  lay  within  his  grasp  by  right  of  discov- 
ery. It  is  stated  Cabot  died  about  1557,  aged  eighty 
years.  During  his  last  illness,  just  before  his  spirit 
took  its  flight,  his  mind  being  illumined  with  the 

o  o 

radiance  of  another  existence,  he  remarked  that 
"Divine  revelation  was  an  infallible  method  of  ascer- 
taining the  longitude  he  could  then  disclose  to  no 
one."  After  this  great  discover}' of  Cabot  the  advent- 
urers returned  with  tales  of  the  wonderful,  before 
which  fiction  paled  into  insignificance.  They  all 
thirsted  for  riches,  and  the  wildest  fantasies  of  the 
imagination  could  not  keep  pace  with  their  golden 
dreams,  to  be  realized  in  this  far-away  El  Dorado. 
The  sojourners  at  home  seized  upon  the  informa- 
tion with  the  same  avidity  as  the  explorers. 

The  discovery  of  Florida  has  usually  been  given 
to  a  companion  of  Columbus,  Ponce  de  Leon,  a 
daring  cavalier,  whom  fortune  had  favored  in  all 
his  undertakings.  Having  been  promoted  to  the 
highest  official  position  on  the  island  of  Porto  Rico, 
his  declining  strength  was  a  bitter  potion,  which  re- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

in ai vied  in  the  cup  of  bis  closing  life.  Failing  in 
the  realization  of  his  golden  dreams  in  the  new 
country,  he  afterward  heard  of  an  immortal  fount- 
ain toward  the  setting  sun,  called  Bimini,  whose 
waters  not  only  gave  youth  and  beauty,  but  a  peren- 
nial existence.  It  was  before  this  much-coveted 
prize  the  glory  of  all  earthly  honors  faded  into  shad- 
ows. The  traditions  of  these  wonderful  rejuvenat- 
ing waters  had  lived  among  the  Carib  Indians  for 
many  years,  and  from  the  fact  that  those  who  jour- 
neyed thither  had  never  returned,  the  conclusion 
was  inferred  that  they  were  roaming  through  the 
newly-found  Elysian  Fields,  so  delighted  they  did 
not  wish  to  leave  their  new  home,  never  imagining 
they  could  have  perished  by  the  hand  of  violence. 
Ponce  de  Leon  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  com- 
panions for  this  visionary  voyage.  He  fitted  out 
three  vessels  for  the  expedition,  which  sailed  from 
the  port  of  St.  Germain,  March,  1512,  when,  steer- 
ing westward,  they  landed  a  little  to  the  north  of 
St.  Augustine,  March  27,  1512,  on  Palm  Sunday, 
naming  the  country  Pascua  Florida  s,  which  it  still 
retains.  Ponce  was  much  charmed  with  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  every  thing  he  saw.  The  num- 
ber of  streams  which  he  drank  from  is  unknown, 
but  as  none  of  the  fabled  waters  imparted  fresh 
vigor  to  his  worn,  battered  body,  made  thus  from 
age  and  toil,  he  returned  home,  if  no  younger,  wiser 
on  the  subject  of  adventurous  enterprise.  After 
his  arrival  in  Cuba  he  reported  his  discovery  to  Fer- 
dinand, who  conferred  on  him  the  title  of  Adelanta- 
do,  which  would  immortalize  him  on  the  records  of 


442          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

history  after  death,  if  no  rejuvenating  waters  could 
affect  him  while  living.  Hardly  had  he  returned 
and  recovered  from  the  toils  of  his  discovery  before 
information  was  received  that  the  Caribs  were  en- 
croaching upon  the  island  of  Porto  Rico,  capturing 
the  Spaniards  and  carrying  them  away,  and,  as  they 
were  never  seen  afterward,  it  was  inferred  they  had 
been  eaten  by  these  cannibals.  An  expedition  was 
soon  sent  out  to  conquer  them,  commanded  by  Ponce 
de  Leon.  lie  landed  first  on  the  island  of  Guada- 
lupe,  when  he  sent  his  men  on  shore  for  wood,  and 
the  women  to  wash  their  clothes.  The  hostile  In- 
dians made  a  descent  on  them,  killing  the  men,  and 
carrying  off  the  women  prisoners  to  the  mountains. 
This  movement  was  a  heavy  blow  to  the  ambitious 
Ponce,  whose  health  and  spirits  both  commenced 
declining.  The  squadron,  on  his  return  from  Porto 
Rico,  was  taken  charge  of  by  one  of  his  captains. 
After  remaining  on  the  island  for  several  years,  still 
retaining  the  office  of  governor,  he  was  told  the 
land  he  had  discovered  was  not  an  island,  but  por- 
tion of  a  large  unknown  country.  The  fame  of 
Cortez,  who  was  then  winning  laurels  in  the  con- 
quest of  Mexico,  reached  the  ears  of  Ponce  de  Leon, 
who,  not  wishing  to  be  considered  the  least  among 
the  conquerors,  fitted  out  another  expedition  of  two 
ships  at  his  own  expense,  which  sailed  from  Porto 
liico,  1521,  for  the  purpose  of  making  farther  ex- 
plorations in  the  new  continent.  A  bird  of  ill  omen 
appeared  to  perch  on  his  pennons  from  the  time  he 
left  port.  Heavy  seas  assailed  him  on' every  side, 
tossing  his  frail  bark  like  a  feather  on  their  creamy 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          443 

crests,  threatening  destruction  at  every  moment. 
He  finally  landed  at  the  nearest  point  on  the  coast 
of  Florida,  being  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Augustine, 
where  he  proclaimed  himself  governor  and  pos- 
sessor of  the  soil.  The  Caribs,  thinking  themselves 
unauthorized  in  the  recognition  of  any  power  out- 
side of  their  own  race,  met  him  with  fierce  opposi- 
tion, showering  their  arrows  upon  the  astonished 
Spaniards,  killing  several  of  them,  and  mortally 
wounding  Ponce  de  Leon.  He  was  carried  to  the 
ship  in  a  helpless  condition,  and  from  thence  to 
Cuba.  A  Spanish  writer  makes  the  following  re- 
mark upon  the  visionary  scheme  in  which  this  un- 
fortunate adventurer  had  embarked:  "Thus  fate 
delights  to  reverse  the  schemes  of  men.  The  dis- 
covery that  Juan  Ponce  flattered  himself  was  to  be 
the  means  of  perpetuating  his  life,  had  the  ultimate 
effect  of  hastening  his  death."  The  last  undertak- 
ing closed  his  earthly  career,  and  found  for  him  a 
grave  on  the  island  of  Cuba.  The  following  is  a 
correct  copy  of  the  epitaph  placed  upon  his  tomb, 
translated  into  Spanish  by  Castellano : 

Aequeste  lugar  estrecho 
Es  sepulchre  del  varon 
Que  en  el  nombre  fue  Leon, 
Y  mucho  mas  en  el  hecho. 

When  rendered  into  English,  means,  In  this  sepul- 
cher  rest  the  bones  of  a  man  who  was  a  lion  by 
name,  and  still  more  by  nature. 

The  failure  of  Ponce  de  Leon  did  not  deter  other 
explorers,  thirsting  for  glory  and  gain,  from  try- 
ing their  fortunes  in  this  unexplored  paradise. 


444          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

These,  like  many  settlers  in  a  new  country  the  pres- 
ent day,  had  miscalculated  the  toils  and  privations 
to  be  endured,  the  dangers  to  be  faced,  the  labors 
performed,  the  foes,  whose  cunning  in  the  use  of 
death-dealing  missiles  would  take  their  lives  with 
the  same  freedom  they  did  the  snake  that  sung  the 
siren  song  of  death  to  the  thoughtless  victim  that 
crossed  his  pathway.  The  names  of  De  Ayllon, 
Miruello,  Cordova,  Alaminos,  Verazzano,  Pamtilo 
de  Narvaez,  and  Cabeca  de  Vaca,  all  come  to  us 
covered  with  defeat  and  loss  of  life  while  attempt- 
ing to  inhabit  a  country  so  uncivilized  that  they  had 
never  been  able  to  imagine  even  its  real  condition. 
Mountains  of  gold,  mines  of  silver,  and  rivers  of 
pearls,  was  the  Aladdin's  dream  that  lured  them  from 
home,  and  left  them  to  perish  on  the  sands  of  an 
inhospitable  shore.  Nearly  twenty  years  had  elapsed 
since  the  demise  of  Ponce  de  Leon,  when  Hernando 
de  Soto,  an  officer  second  in  rank  to  Pizarro  the 
Conqueror,  having  accompanied  him  during  his  Pe- 
ruvian conquests,  had  entered  the  temples  of  the 
Incas,  whose  brightness  was  only  eclipsed  by  the 
great  luminary  of  day,  while  the  Aztecs  rendered 
him  the  honor  that  belonged  to  their  o-ods.  De 

o  o 

Soto  still  thirsted  for  conquest,  and  Florida  was  a 
new  field  for  the  gratification  of  his  adventurous 
schemes  and  visionary  enterprises.  He  consumed 
much  time  on  the  island  of  Cuba  in  recruiting  sol- 
diers and  sailors  who  were  willing  to  serve  under 
him,  and  follow  where  he  would  lead.  Finally,  after 
his  preparations  were  completed,  he  sailed,  on  the 
15th  of  May,  1539,  under  the  ensign,  "Possuntquia 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          445 

posse  videntur"  (They  are  able,  because  they  seem 
to  be  able),  arriving  at  Espiritu  Santo  Bay  on  Whit- 
sunday, May  25,  with  a  larger  fleet  than  had  ever 
landed  on  the  shores  of  Florida  before.  De  Soto 
was  certain  he  had  found  "the  richest  country  in 
the  world,"  where  the  cupidity  of  his  companions 
could  be  gratified  to  satiety ;  where  precious  metals 
lined  the  temples,  and  more  precious  gems  sparkled 
from  their  high  altars, ^before  which  the  priests,  clad 
in  robes  of  royal  purple,  chanted  their  orisons  in 
the  presence  of  worshiping  crowds  who,  free  from 
solicitude  for  all  worldly  possessions,  poured  their 
surplus  riches  from  their  well-filled  coffers  into  the 
store-house  of  the  Great  Spirit,  as  an  expiatory  offer- 
ing for  their  misdeeds.  It  cannot  but  be  conceded 
that  a  more  industrious,  ubiquitous  traveler  than 
De  Soto  ever  entered  Florida.  We  are  certain,  if 
*the  courage  of  his  men  was  unfailing,  that  their 
fine,  costly  apparel,  becoming  the  knighthood  of  a 
chivalric  age  and  people,  was  much  shorn  of  its 
distinguished  ensigns;  also,  the  richly-caparisoned 
horses  of  their  gaudy  trappings,  while  exploring  the 
wilds  of  Florida.  Each  day  their  hopes  were  re- 
newed by  something  they  saw,  or  heard  from  the 
Indians,  who,  being  anxious  to  get  rid  of  their 
troublesome  intruders,  entertained  them  with  tales 
of  unexplored  territory  containing  vast  treasures 
just  beyond  them.  Thus  they  traveled  from  Tampa 
to  Ocala,  thence  to  Tallahassee,  Rome,  Georgia,  the 
Cumberland,  in  Tennessee,  finally  crossing  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  near  Memphis.  Worn  out  with  wan- 
dering, disappointed  in  not  finding  the  El  Dorado 


446          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

of  his  ambition,  he  calmly  met  and  faced  his  last 
foe  on  the  banks  of  the  great  Father  of  Waters,  as 
one  writer  has  remarked,  "  finding  nothing  so  won- 
derful as  his  own  grave."  Thus  ended  the  career 
of  a  man,  representing  himself  to  be  a  child  of 
the  sun,  in  search  of  the  fairest  land  in  the  world, 
and  himself  the  greatest  lord  that  ruled  this  unex- 
plored region/ 

The  Indians  had  become  wearied  with  these  chil- 
dren of  the  sun,  whose  presence  had  given  them 
neither  peace  nor  plenty,  as  they  had  killed  all  who 
opposed  them ;  besides,  these  celestial  visitants  ap- 
propriated all  their  stores  for  the  sustenance  of  them- 
selves, thus  leaving  them  only  the  prospect  of  extra 
exertion,  to  which  their  heretofore  easy,  idle  habits 
of  living  had  rendered  them  averse.  With  the  rec- 
ollection of  these  events,  the  natives,  fresh  from 
their  former  experience,  could  hardly  be  expected; 
when  the  messengers  of  peace  came  to  Florida,  as 
they  saw  no  difference  in  their  external  appearance 
and  that  of  their  predecessors,  besides  being  goaded 
with  the  memory  of  their  wrongs,  that  they  would 
be  prepared  to  give  them  any  thing  but  a  cruel  re- 
ception. For  this  reason  the  beautiful  bay  of  Espir- 
itu  Santo,  which  years  before  had  witnessed  the  pa- 
geant of  a  far-famed  conquering  general  among 
peaceful  people,  now  saw  the  war-clubs  descend  with 
fearful  force  upon  the  defenseless  heralds  of  the 
cross,  who  had  come  in  good  faith  to  convert  them. 
Afterward  appeared  Senor  Don  Tristan  de  Luna, 
from  Mexico,  landing  at  Santa  Maria,  or  Pensacola 
Bay.  The  only  remaining  record  of  his  exploits  is 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          447 

the  fact  of  a  Spanish  settlement  having  been  estab- 
lished on  the  shores  of  Pensacola  Bay,  in  1561,  and 
that  numerous  explorations  were  made  through  the 
country  at  the  same  time,  as  they  remained  four 
years,  but  became  discouraged  and  left  the  country, 
which  had  been  to  them  only  a  scene  of  reverses, 
and  returned  to  more  friendly  climes,  leaving  the 
glory  of  establishing  the  first  permanent  settlement 
on  the  shores  of  America  to  another. 

During  the  religious  differences  which  harassed 
the  Huguenots  in  the  reign  of  Charles  the  IX.  of 
France,  Coligny,  a  convert,  conceived  the  project  of 
seeking  an  asylum  in  the  New  World,  where  God 
could  be  worshiped  in  accordance  with  their  received 
opinions  of  his  attributes.  King  Charles  required 
no  importuning  for  the  furtherance  of  this  plan,  it 
being  a  matter  of  indifference  to  him  whether  they 
succeeded  or  failed,  as  he  would  be  rid  of  these  troub- 
lesome Protestant  subjects,  whom  he  both  feared  and 
hated.  Jean  Ribaut  sailed  from  France  in  February, 
1562,  landing  first  on  the  south  side  of  Anastasia 
Island,  near  the  present  site  of  St.  Augustine,  nam- 
ing the  inlet  River  of  Dolphins,  which  they  could 
not  cross  with  their  large  ships  because  of  the  bar 
at  its  mouth.  The  river  is  now  called  Matanzas. 
They  then  sailed  in  a  northerly  direction  from  this 
point,  naming  the  present  St.  John's  May  River, 
from  the  month  in  which  they  first  discovered  it. 
The  French  historian  thus  glowingly  describes  their 
impressions  of  the  country:  "The  weather  being 
fair,  we  viewed  the  lands  as  we  passed,  sparkling 
with  flowers  and  verdure,  the  vast  forests,  the  un- 


448          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

known  birds,  the  game  which  appeared  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  glades  and  stood  fearlessly  gazing  at 
the  apparition  of  man."  They  entered  a  large  inlet, 
ninety  leagues  north  from  Dolphin  River,  which 
Ribaut  named  Port  Royal.  On  a  small  island  they 
built  a  fort,  and  named  it  Charles,  or  Carolus,  in 
honor  of  the  French  king.  For  three  years  this  col- 
ony existed  through  hardships,  but  without  perse- 
cution. However,  unfortunately,  the  material  they 
had  enlisted  to  found  a  Reformed  Church  on  foreign 
shores  was  mixed  with  dross — men  without  character 
or  principle,  whose  vices  were  not  improved  by  trans- 
planting. Thus,  the  first  endeavors  made  by  perse- 
cuted men  to  seek  an  asylum  in  the  New  World, 
were  attended  with  events  too  true  to  be  disputed, 
and  almost  too  tragical  to  receive  credence.  They 
present  a  striking  instance  of  the  chivalrous  spirit 
which  animated  the  reformers  of  that  day,  also  the 
sanguinary  disposition  with  which  they  were  har- 
assed by  religious  bigotry.  After  Ribaut  had  set- 
tled this  colony,  consisting  of  twenty -five  men,  in 
charge  of  Captain  Albert,  he  sailed  for  France,  to 
relate  his  discoveries  and  receive  assistance.  The 
captain,  being  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Indians, 
went  on  expeditions  through  the  country,  one  of 
which  was  to  Onade,  or  Savannah  River,  where  the 
Indians  gave  him  pearls,  gold,  and  crystals  in  which 
the  ore  was  found.  They  also  informed  him  that  it 
was  ten  days'  journey  distant  to  these  treasures, 
which  wrere  no  doubt  the  mountains  of  Georgia  now, 
then  a  portion  of  Florida.  Ribaut  was  detained  on 
his  voyage  to  France  by  alternate  storms  and  calms, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          449 

until  his  ship-stores  became  exhausted,  when  they 
resorted  to  leather  as  a  means  of  subsistence,  and 
finally  sacrificed  one  of  their  number  to  sustain  life 
in  the  surviving  ones.  When  he  arrived  in  France, 
a  civil  war  being  in  progress  between  the  Catholics 
and  Huguenots,  no  opportunity  presented  itself  for 
fitting  out  an  expedition,  or  sending  relief  to  the 
little  band  at  Port  Royal.  In  consequence  of  this 
neglect  they  built  themselves  a  mere  shallop,  in  which 
they  started  for  home.  On  the  voyage  they  muti- 
nied, killing  their  commander,  and  were  finally,  in 
a  starving,  sinking  condition,  taken  on  board  an 
English  vessel.  A  portion  of  them  were  landed  in 
France,  and  the  remainder  on  the  shores  of  England. 
Those  in  the  English  dominions  were  brought  be- 
fore the  king,  where  they  related  their  adventures 
in  the  New  World,  which  narration  first  turned  the 
attention  of  the  English  to  this  country. 

The  command  of  the  second  expedition  was  given 
to  one  of  Ribaut's  companions,  Laudonniere.  They 
again  landed  south  of  the  River  May;  but  having 
received  the  news  that  Port  Royal  was  abandoned, 
and  being  saddened  from  old  associations,  they  de- 
termined to  settle  near  the  mouth  of  May  River, 
it  having  presented  the  most  attractions  to  them  on 
a  former  visit,  as  here  they  had  been  supplied  with 
more  corn  and  grain,  besides  gold  and  silver,  than 
at  any  other  place.  In  the  month  of  June,  1564,  they 
commenced  building  a  fort,  felling  trees,  clearing 
away  undergrowth,  hewing  timbers,  and  throwing 
up  intrenchments.  The  form  of  this  palisade  was 
triangular,  on  two  sides  of  which  were  a  trench  and 
"  20 


450          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

walls  of  earth,  with  retreating  angles  and  platforms 
for  admitting  four  cannons;  the  other  side  was  con- 
structed of  heavy  timbers  locked  together.  This 
structure  was  built  on  the  present  site  of  St.  John's 
Bluff,  the  land  being  claimed  by  an  Indian  chief 
who  rendered  them  good  service  in  its  construction, 
also  in  erecting  their  store-houses  and  buildings. 
The  Indians  were  easily  remunerated  for  their  labor, 
being  satisfied  with  a  few  trinkets,  toys,  or  hatchets. 
The  roofs  were  of  palm-leaves,  ingeniously  woven 
together  after  the  Indian  method.  The  French  took 
possession  of  the  country  inthe  name  of  King  Charles, 
their  sovereign,  calling  their  new  fort  Caroline  also. 
The  Indians  entertained  their  visitors  with  marvel- 
ous tales  of  "a  nation  who  covered  their  bodies  with 
gold  and  silver  plates  when  they  fought,  which  pro- 
tected them  from  the  arrows  of  their  enemies,  shot 
from  the  largest  bows."  This  information  inflamed 
the  ambition  of  the  Frenchmen  so  much  that,  as 
soon  as  the  fort  furnished  a  defense  for  them,  the  ships 
departed  for  France,  leaving  supplies  with  the  colony 
for  nine  months.  The  new  settlers  again  became 
restless,  not  hearing  from  those  who  had  sailed,  re- 
ceiving no  assistance  from  France,  and  as  provisions 
were  failing  also,  they  commenced  building  a  vessel 
for  their  return.  In  this  extremity  they  were  visited 
by  Captain  Hawkins,  who  had  sailed  from  the  West 
Indies  —  his  object  in  entering  the  river  being  to 
obtain  a  supply  of  fresh  water.  Seeing  what  would 
be  the  result  of  their  undertaking,  he  dissuaded 
them  from  going  to  sea  in  their  dangerous  craft ;  he 
also  sold  them  a  vessel  and  provisions,  which  pro- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sujmy  Climes.          451 

duced  a  reconciliation  in  their  ranks.  A  fleet  of 
seven  vessels  sailed  from  the  port  of  Dieppe,  May 
22,  1565,  landing,  three  months  from  that  date,  on 
the  coast  of  Florida.  Laudonniere,  at  first,  thought 
them  his  enemies,  who  had  mutinied  and  left  for 
France,  where  they  had  been  circulating  evil  reports 
in  regard  to  his  judicial  character,  but  was  much 
pleased  to  find  Ribaut  had  returned,  who  then  took 
command  of  Fort  Caroline,  and  Laudonniere  com- 
menced making  preparations  for  sailing  to  France, 
where  he  had  been  ordered.  In  the  meantime  in- 
formation had  been  received  by  the  Spanish  mon- 
arch of  a  Huguenot  settlement  on  the  coast  of  Flor- 
ida. It  was  the  religious,  and  not  the  political,  zeal 
of  the  Spaniards,  as  circumstances  go  to  prove,  that 
moved  them  to  plan  the  destruction  of  this  infant 
colony.  Pedro  Melendez  de  Avilez,  a  marine  officer 
in  the  time  of  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  importuned  the 
king,  on  account  of  his  desire  for  worldly  honors,  to 
be  sent  to  the  then  wilds  of  Florida.  For  the  fur- 
therance of  his  plans  he  made  the  following  plea  as 
the  philanthropic  design  of  his  unselfish  motives : 
"  Such  grief  seizes  me  when  I  behold  this  multitude 
of  wretched  Indians,  that  I  should  choose  the  con- 
quest and  settling  of  Florida  above  all  commands, 
or  offices  and  dignities  which  your  majesty  might  see 
proper  to  bestow."  His  commission  was  received 
without  difficulty,  when  he  adopted  the  motto, 
"  Plunder  from  heretics  is  good  for  the  soul  as  well 
as  the  purse."  On  the  4th  of  September,  1565,  six 
vessels  were  seen  coming  from  the  sea,  which  dropped 
anchor  near  the  four  large  vessels  of  Ribaut.  They 


452         Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

were  recognized  as  Spanish  galleons,  and  the  French 
were  hailed  to  know  "what  they  were  doing  in  the 
dominions  of  King  Philip."  No  other  demonstra- 
tions were  then  made,  except  that  he  was  their  ene- 
my. The  enterprise  of  Melendez  had  now  assumed 
an  appearance  of  more  dignity  ;  it  became  a  crusade, 
and  the  eager"  impulse  of  ambition  was  stimulated 
by  all  the  usual  arguments  in  favor  of  a  religious 
war.  The  extirpation  of  heresy  was  an  object  equally 
grateful  to  the  legitimates  both  of  France  and  Spain, 
Charles  IX.  cheerfully  yielding  up  his  Protestant 
subjects  in  Florida  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Spanish 
propagandists.  Melendez  came  to  Florida  as  a  con- 
queror, and  to  convert  the  Indians.  In  considera- 
tion of  his  bearing  a  greater  portion  of  the  expense, 
he  was  styled  the  Adelantado  of  the  Floridas.  D.ur- 
ing  the  voyage  they  encountered  storms  which  de- 
creased their  numbers  nearly  one -third.  Having 
heard  of  the  colony  being  reenforced,  doubts  were 
entertained  of  their  strength  to  attack  it,  and  Me- 
lendez appealed  to  them  in  the  following  manner: 
"The  Almighty  has  thus  reduced  our  force,  that  his 
own  right  arm  might  achieve  the  work."  The  French 
were  unprepared  for  the  rapidity  of  the  progress 
made  by  the  Spaniards,  and  when  the  galleons  an- 
chored Ribaut  was  at  La  Caroline.  Fortunately, 
they  did  not  reach  May  River  until  near  night,  when 
darkness  prevented  an  attack,  wThich  was  the  occa- 
sion of  their  civility.  They  lowered  sail,  cast  an- 
chor, and  forbore  all  offensive  demonstrations.  But 
one  circumstance  contirmed  the  apprehensions  of 
the  Frenchmen :  in  the  brief  conversation  which  en- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          453 

sued  between  the  parties  on  the  arrival  of  the  Span- 
iards, was  their  inquiries  after  the  chief  captains  and 
leaders  of  the  French  fleet,  calling  them  by  their 
names  and  surnames,  thus  betraying  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  matters  which  had  been  judiciously 
kept  secret  as  possible  in  France,  showing  conclu- 
sively that  before  Melendez  left  Spain  he  was  thor- 
oughly informed,  by  those  who  knew,  of  the  condi- 
tion, movements,  and  strength  of  Ribaut's  arma- 
ment. Why  this  information,  unless  there  were 
some  designs  for  acting  upon  it  ?  The  French  offi- 
cers compared  notes  that  night,  in  respect  to  these 
communications,  concurring  in  the  belief  that  they 
stood  in  danger  of  an  assault.  They  accordingly 
made  preparations  to  leave  with  the  dawn.  At  an 
early  hour  the  Spaniards  begun  to  draw  near  the 
French,  but  the  sails  of  these  were  already  hoisted 
to  the  breeze.  Their  cables  severed  at  the  first  sign 
of  hostility,  when  the  chase  begun  with  the  greatest 
animation.  If  the  Huguenots  were  deficient  in  force, 
they  had  the  advantage  in  swift  sailing.  They  suf- 
fered nothing  from  the  distant  cannonading,  although 
the  chase  lasted  all  day.  At  the  approach  of  night 
the  Spaniards  tacked  ship  and  stood  for  the  River 
Selooe,  named  by  the  French  Dolphin,  a  distance 
overland  of  but  eight  or  ten  leagues  from  La  Caro- 
line. Finding  they  had  the  advantage  of  their  en- 
emies -in  fleetness,  the  French  vessels  came  about 
also,  following  at  a  respectful  distance.  After  hav- 
ing made  all  the  discoveries  possible,  they  returned 
to  May  River,  when  Ribaut  carne  aboard.  They  re- 
ported to  him  that  the  great  ship  of  the  Spaniards, 


454          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

called  "The  Trinity,"  still  kept  the  sea— that  two 
ships  had  entered  Dolphin  River,  atid  three  remained 
at  its  mouth,  while  the  Spaniards  had  evidently  em- 
ployed themselves  in  putting  soldiers,  with  arms, 
munitions,  and  provisions,  upon  shore.  Emoloa, 
one  of  the  Indian  kings  in  amity  with  the  French, 
sent  them  word  "that  the  Spaniards  had  gone  on 
shore  in  great  numbers,  and  that  they  had  deprived 
the  natives  of  their  houses  at  that  village."  Gen- 
erals Patino  and  Vicente  had  taken  control  of  a 
huge  barn-like  structure,  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Indian  Cazique,  which  was  constructed  from  the 
trunks  of  large  trees,  and  thatched  over  with  pal- 
metto. They  begun  work  on  this  newly-captured 
fortification  by  intrenching  with  sand,  employing 
the  negroes  they  had  brought  with  them,  this  being 
the  first  introduction  of  slave-labor  into  the  United 
States.  This  Indian  council-house,  used  as  a  forti- 
fication by  Melendez,  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Twent}T 
years  afterward  another  structure  of  logs  was  reared 
on  the  same  spot,  in  the  form  of  an  octagon.  It  was 
finished  in  1722,  the  design  being  to  impress  stran- 
gers and  frighten  savages.  It  was  christened  San 
Juan  de  Pinas.  After  some  preliminaries,  prepara- 
tory to  a  formal  reception,  the  Spaniards  took  pos- 
session of  the  country  amid  the  firing  of  cannons, 
flourishingof  trumpets,  and  flinging  of  banners  to  the 
breeze.  The  priest  Mendoza,  with  his  acolytes,  met 
Melendez  with  all  the  pomp  of  a  conquering  prince, 
chanting  the  "TeDeum  Laudamm,"  when  theA.de- 
lantado  and  his  companions  kneeled,  kissing  the 
crucifix,  while  the  Indians  assembled,  gazing  in  si- 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         455 

lent  wonder,  as  the  solemn  mass  of  "Our  Lady  "  was 
performed,  and  the  foundation  of  St.  Augustine  laid. 
Thus  was  planted  by  Pedro  Melendez  the  broad  ban- 
ner of  Spain,  with  its  castellated  towers,  in  the  lonely 
Indian  village  of  Selooe,  beside  the  river  which  the 
Huguenots  had  previously  dignified  with  the  title  of 
"La  Riviere  des  Dolphins."  It  was  on  the  28th  of 
August,  1565,  the  day  on  which  the  Spaniards  cele- 
brate the  Feast  of  St.  Augustine,  that  the  Adelan- 
tado  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Selooe  River,  being 
attracted  by  the  general  appearance  of  the  country, 
and  resolved  to  establish  a  town  and  fortress.  Hav- 
ing previously  come  on  shore  with  a  portion  of  his 
forces,  he  found  himself  welcomed  by  the  savages, 
whom  he  treated  kindly,  and  who  requited  him  with 
the  assurances  of  friendship.  Mendoza,  the  priest 
who  accompanied  the  Adelantado,  kept  a  journal  of 
their  movements  both  on  the  voyage  and  after  land- 
ing in  America.  If  he  had  been  a  man  of  more  in- 
telligence, posterity  would  now  be  greatly  benefited 
by  his  records,  as  they  are  so  closely  connected  with 
the  birth  of  our  great  republic.  Ribaut,  concluding 
that  the  Spaniards  designed  to  assail  the  settlement 
of  La  Caroline  from  this  point,  with  a  view  of  ex- 
terminating the  colonists  from  the  country,  boldly 
conceived  a  move  for  taking  the  initiative  in  the  war. 
He  first  assembled  his  chief  captains  in  the  chamber 
of  Laudonniere,  that  official  being  ill.  He  compared 
the  relative  condition  of  their  own  and  the  enemy's 
strength,  concluding  that  he  could  embark  with  all 
his  forces  and  seek  the  fleet  of  the  Spaniards,  par- 
ticularly at  a  moment  when  it  was  somewhat  scat- 


456          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

tered — with  only  one  great  ship  at  sea,  and  the  rest 
not  conditioned  to  support  each  other  in  the  event 
of  a  sudden  attack,  as  the  troops  of  the  Adelantado, 
with  a  portion  on  shore  and  the  remainder  on  board 
their  vessels,  would  not  be  ready  for  immediate  action. 
Laudonniere  was  entirely  opposed  to  the  scheme  of 
Ribaut,  representing  the  defenseless  condition  of  the 
fortress  and  the  dangers  of  a  fleetat  sea,  particularly 
during  a  season  distinguished  for  storms  and  hurri- 
canes, llibaut,  being  an  old  soldier  and  sea-captain, 
was  too  eager  for  an  engagement  to  heed  any  argu- 
ments that  partook  of  cowardice.  He  ordered  all 
the  soldiers  subject  to  his  command  to  board  their 
vessels.  Not  satisfied  with  this  force,  he  lessened 
the  strength  of  the  garrison  by  taking  a  detachment 
of  its  best  men,  leaving  few  to  keep  the  post  but  in- 
valids. On  the  8th  of  September,  1565,  he  left  in 
pursuit  of  the  Spaniards,  and  Laudonniere  never 
saw  him  again.  Nature  put  on  her  wildest  moods, 
and  the  skies  were  swallowed  up  in  tempests. 
The  storm  continued  so  long  that  Laudonniere  mus- 
tered his  command  and  proceeded  to  put  the  fortress 
in  the  best  possible  condition  for  defense.  Work 
advanced  slowly  in  consequence  of  the  continued 
bad  weather.  The  whole  force  left  in  the  garrison 
consisted  of  but  eighty-six  men  capable  of  bearing 
arms.  Ribaut,  relying  upon  the  impression  that  he 
should  find  his  enemy  at  sea  in  fall  force,  stripped 
the  garrison  of  its  strength.  Ilis  vessels  being  swifter 
than  those  of  the  Spaniards,  he  was  certain  that  if 
any  demonstration  should  be  made  against  La  Caro- 
line, he  could  interpose.  He  made  no  calculation 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          457 

for  the  caprices  of  the  weather  and  cool  prudence 
of  Pedro  Melendez.  He  intended  first  to  destroy 
the  fleet  of  the  enemy,  and  then  make  a  descent 
upon  the  troops  on  land  before  they  could  fortify 
their  camps,  thus  overcoming  them  with  his  superior 
and  unembarrassed  forces.  The  condition  of  things 
at  La  Caroline  when  Ribaut  took  his  departure  was 
deplorable  enough,  but  rendered  still  more  so  by  a 
scanty  supply  of  food  for  the  helpless  who  remained. 
Laudonniere  proceeded  to  assume  the  defensive 
attitude  in  the  event  of  an  attack;  but  at  the  recur- 
rence of  stormy  weather  they  ceased  work,  suppos- 
ing the  Spaniards  would  not  expose  themselves 
during  the  severity  of  an  equinoctial  gale. 

While  Melendez  was  busy  with  the  preliminaries 
incident  to  founding  a  new  settlement,  having  cele- 
brated the  divine  mysteries  in  a  manner  both  solemn 
and  ostentatious,  the  fleet  of  Ribaut  made  its  appear- 
ance at  the  mouth  of  the  inlet.  His  extreme  cau- 
tion in  sounding  the  bar  to  which  his  vessels  were 
approaching  lost  him  two  precious  hours,  but  for 
•which  his  conquest  must  have  been  certain.  Had 
the  two  remaining  vessels  been  captured,  and  Me- 
leudez  made  prisoner,  then  a  descent  upon  the  dis- 
mayed troops  on  shore,  not  yet  intrenched,  when 
the  annihilation  of  the  settlement  must  have  ensued: 
thus  the  whole  destiny  of  Florida  would  have  been 
changed,  the  Huguenot  colonies  established  upon 
the  soil,  a  firm  possession  of  the  land  given  to  the 
French,  that  might  have  kept  the  fleur-de-lis  waving 
from  its  summit  to  this  day.  At  the  very  instant 
when  the  hands  of  Ribaut  were  stretched  to  seize 
20* 


458          Petals  Flacked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

his  prize,  the  sudden  force  of  the  hurricane  parted 
them  —  the  trembling  ships  gradually  disappearing 
with  their  white  wings  in  the  distance  and  darkness, 
like  feeble  birds  borne  onward  in  the  wild  fury  of 
the  tempest.  Meanwhile  the  mind  of  Melendez  was 
not  idle;  a  bright  thought  had  flashed  across  his 
pathway  which  opened  daring  exploits.  His  officers 
were  summoned  to  a  council  of  solemn  debate  and 
deliberate  action  in  regard  to  their  future  move- 
ments. It  was  midnight  when  the  assemblage  of 

O  O 

the  Spanish  captains  took  place  in  the  great  council- 
house  of  the  savages  of  Selooe.  Rude  logs  strewn 
about  the  building,  even  as  they  had  been  employed 
by  the  Indians,  furnished  seats  for  the  Spanish  offi- 
cers. They  surrounded  a  great  fire  of  resinous 
pine,  which  now  blazed  brightly  in  the  apartment. 
Silently  the  Castilian  noblemen  took  their  seats. 
Melendez  encouraged  an  immediate  attack  on  Fort 
Caroline  while  weakened  by  the  absence  of  Ribaut 
and  his  forces.  His  arguments  and  inflexible  will 
silenced  opposition,  when  all  the  council  gradually 
became  of  his  mind — the  whole  scene  closing  with 
a  benediction  from  Father  Salvandi.  Every  prep- 
aration being  completed,  Melendez,  with  five  hun- 
dred picked  men,  commenced  an  overland  march  to 
Fort  Caroline.  It  was  on  the  night  of  the  19th  of 
September,  1565,  Monsieur  de  La  Vigne,  being  ap- 
pointed to  keep  guard,  with  his  company,  and  hav- 
ing a  tender  heart  for  the  men  in  bad  weather,  pit- 
ied the  guards  so  much  he  permitted  them  to  retire 
to  their  lodgings,  and  also  went  himself.  Foul 
weather  appeared  to  agree  with  the  Spaniards,  who 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          459 

enjoyed  the  showers  from  which  the  French  retired 
so  willingly,  and  that  night  found  them  in  readiness 
for  an  attack  on  the  Huguenot  colony.  The  surprise 
being  complete,  all  show  of  resistance  was  use- 
less. "  Slay!  smite!  and  spare  not!"  was  the  dread- 
ful command  of  Melendez.  "  The  groans  of  the  her- 
etic make  music  in  the  ears  of  Heaven !  "  Laudon- 
niere,  with  eighteen  of  his  companions,  succeeded  in 
escaping.  Among  this  number  was  the  celebrated 
painter  Le  Moynerto  whom  we  owe  much  for  illus- 
trations of  Floridian  scenery,  lineaments,  and  cos- 
tumes, preserved  in  De  Bry  and  other  collections. 
These  sailed  out  the  River  May,  and,  after  numerous 
adventures  and  detentions,  arrived  on  the  coast  of 
England.  The  most  cruel  portion  of  this  drama  is 
the  last  act  in  regard  to  the  fate  of  the  wretched 
Huguenots  taken  at  the  capture  of  La  Caroline, 
and  the  dark  deed  by  which  the  Spanish  chief  tar- 
nished the  record  which  might  have  immortalized  his 
name.  All  resistance  having  ceased  on  the  part  of 
the  Huguenots  at  Caroline,  the  standard  of  Castile 
was  unrolled  from  its  battlements,  instead  of  the 
white  folds  and  the  smiling  lilies  of  France.  The 
name  of  the  fortress  was  solemnly  changed  to  San 
Matheo — the  day  on  which  they  found  themselves 
in  its  possession  being  dedicated  to  the  honor  of 
that  saint.  The  arms  of  France,  and  also  of  Colig- 
ny,  which  surmounted  the  gateways  of  the  fort, 
were  erased,  and  those  of  Spain  graven  instead. 
The  keeping  of  the  fortress  was  assigned  to  a  garri- 
son of  three  hundred  men,  under  the  command  of 
Gonzalo  de  Villaroel.  These  services  occupied  but 


460          Petals  Plucked  from  Sutuiy  Climes. 

little  time,  not  interfering  with  other  performances 
of  the  Adelantaclo,  which  he  thought  not  the  less 
conspicuous  among  the  duties  required  at  his  hands. 
The  surviving  prisoners  were  brought  before  him, 
among  whom  were  many  women  and  children.  Be- 
sides those  rescued  by  Laudonneire,  several  had  fled 
to  the  forests,  taking  shelter  with  the  tribes  of 
neighboring  Indians,  who  in  some  instances  were 
protected  by  them  with  fidelity,  but  in  the  greater 
number  of  cases,  terrified  by  the  sudden  appearance 
and  strength  of  the  Spaniards,  they  yielded  up  the 
fugitives  at  the  fierce  demand  of  the  Adelantado. 

o 

Others  of  the  unfortunate  Huguenots,  warned  by 
the  Indians  that  they  could  no  longer  harbor  them, 
were  shot  down  by  their  pursuers  as  they  fled 
through  the  forests.  The  sight  of  weeping  and 
trembling  women  and  children,  of  naked' captives, 
worn,  exhausted,  enfeebled  by  years,  by  disease,  and 
cruel  wounds,  all  pleading  for  his  mercy,  only 
seemed  to  strengthen  him  in  his  most  cruel  resolu- 
tions. "  Separate  these  women  from  the  other 
prisoners!"  This  was  done.  "Now,  detach  from 
these  last  all  children  under  fifteen  years."  His 
command  was  obeyed.  The  women  and  children  thus 
set  apart  were  consigned  to  slavery:  the  younger 
ones  were  more  readily  persuaded  to  the  Catholic 
altars,  and  thus  finally  achieved  their  deliverance. 
The  more  stubborn  perished  in  their  bonds,  passing 
through  various  grades  of  degradation.  With  ref- 

o  o  o 

erence  to  the  remainder  history  is  terriblj1  definite. 
Fixing  his  cold,  dark  eye  upon  the  male  captives,  of 
whose  fate  he  had  said  nothing,  he  demanded:  "Is 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         461 

there  any  among  ye  who  profess  the  faith  of  the 
Ixoman  Catholic  Church?"  Two  of  the  prisoners 
replied  in  the  affirmative.  "Take  these  Christians 
away,  and  let  their  bonds  be  removed.  The  holy 
Father  Salvandi  will  examine  them  in  the  faith  of 
the  Mother  Chnrch.  For  the  rest,  are  there  any 
among  ye,  seeing  the  error  of  your  faith,  will  re- 
nounce the  heresy  of  Luther,  and  seek  once  more 
communion  with  the  only  true  Church?"  A  dread 
calm  ensued,  the  captives  looking  mournfully  at 
each  other  and  the  Adelantado,  in  whose  face  there 
was  no  encouragement,  and  nothing  but  despair  in 
the  appearance  of  their  companions.  "  Be  warned ! " 
continued  the  Adelantado.  "To  those  who  seek 
the  blessings  of  the  true  Church,  she  generously 
openeth  her  arms;  to  those  who  turn  away  indiffer- 
ently, or  in  scorn,  are  decreed  death,  both  temporal 
and  eternal.  Hear  ye,  and  now  say ! "  The  silence 
was  unbroken.  "Are  ye  obdurate?  or  do  ye  not 
comprehend  that  your  lives  rest  upon  your  speech? 
Either  ye  embrace  the  safety  which  the  Church  of- 
fers, by  an  instant  renunciation  of  that  of  the  foul 
heretic,  Luther,  or  ye  die  by  the  halter!"  One 
sturdy  soldier  advanced  from  the  group — a  bold, 
high-souled  fellow — his  brows  lifted  proudly  with 
the  conscious  impulse  which  worked  \vithin  his  soul. 
"Pedro  Melendez,  we  are  in  your  power.  You  are 
master  of  our  mortal  bodies;  but  with  the  death 
before  us  that  you  threaten,  know  that  we  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Christ,  which  ye 
name  to  be  of  Luther,  and,  holding  it  good  to  live 
in  this  faith,  we  deem  it  not  amiss  to  die  in  it." 


462          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Then  the  speaker  looked  around  him  into  the  face 
of  his  fellows,  as  they  lightened'  up  with  a  glow  of 
cheerfulness  and  pride,  though  no  word  was  spoken. 
"  Speak  this  man  for  the  rest  of  ye  ?  "  demanded  Me- 
lendez.  Fora  moment  there  was  silence.  Finally  a 
matelot  advanced — a  common  sailor — a  man  before 
the  mast.  "Aye,  aye,  captain  !  What  he  says  we  say, 
and  there  's  no  use  for  more  palaver.  Let  there  be 
an  end  of  it.  We  are  of  the  Church  of  Monsieur 
Luther,  and  no  other.  If  death  's  the  word,  we  're 
not  the  men  at  the  end  of  the  reckoning  to  belie 
the  whole  voyage!"  "Be  it  even  as  ye  say!"  an- 
swered Melendez,  coldly  but  sternly,  and  without 
change  of  action  or  show7  of  passion.  "  Take  them 
forth,  and  let  them  be  hung  to  yonder  tree! " 

The  air  was  rent  with  the  shrieks  of  wromen  and 
cries  of  children — women  endeavoring  to  save  their 
husbands,  and  children  clinging  to  the  knees  of 
their  doomed  sires,  all  of  which  produced  no  relent- 
ings — the  parties  being  separated  by  a  strong  hand, 
and  the  doomed  men  hurried  to  the  fatal  tree,  the 
priest  standing  ready  to  receive  their  recantations. 
Exhortations  were  not  spared — soldier  and  sailor 
had  equally  spoken  for  the  martyrdom  of  the  whole 
— the  reverend  father  preaching  and  promising  all 
in  vain.  Amid  cries  and  shrieks,  the  victims  were 
run  up  to  the  wide-spreading  branches  of  a  mighty 
oak,  disgraced  in  its  emploj'ment  for  such  a  purpose, 
where  they  perished  with  fidelity  to  the  faith  which 
they  professed.  Their  bodies  were  left  hanging  in 
the  sun  and  wind,  destined  equally  as  trophies  of 
the  victor  and  warnings  to  the  heretic.  Melendez 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         463 

caused  a  monument  to  be  raised  beneath  the  tree, 
upon  which  was  printed,  in  large  characters,  ';  These 
do  not  suft'er  thus  as  Frenchmen,  but  as  heretics  and 
enemies  to  God."  Melendez  thus  became  master  of 
Fort  Caroline,  wresting  a  country  from  the  Hugue- 
nots which  they  had  acquired  through  so  many  vicis- 
situdes. Before  leaving  he  lingered  to  review  the 
garrison,  and  founded  with  his  own  bloody  hands  a 
church  dedicated  to  the  God  of  merc}\  He  then 
departed  with  a  small  body  of  troops,  arriving  at  his 
camp  in  safety.  He  was  received  as  the  vanquisher 
of  heretics.  After  this  slaughter  the  victors  entered 
St.  Augustine  in  solemn  procession,  with  four  priests 
in  front,  chanting  the  Te  Deum  in  triumph.  How- 
ever, his  victory  was  not  without  its  disquietude, 
having  heard  of  Ribaut  somewhere  on  the  coast, 
and  his  own  shipping  destroyed.  The  unfortunate 
Ribaut,  driven  before  the  hurricane,  had  been 
wrecked  with  all  his  squadron  upon  the  bleak,  un- 
friendly shores  of  Cape  Cannaveral,  his  troops  being 
saved,  but  the  crew  drowned. 

On  the  28th  of  September,  when  the  weary  Ade- 
lantado  was  taking  his  siesta  under  the  sylvan  roof 
of  a  Seloy,  a  band  of  Indians  came  in  with  news 
that  quickly  roused  him  from  his  slumbers:  "A 
French  vessel  had  been  wrecked  on  the  coast  to- 
ward the  south.  Those  who  escaped  from  her  were 
some  four  leagues  off,  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  or  arm 
of  the  sea,  which  they  could  not  cross.  Melendez 
immediately  sent  a  detachment  of  men  to  recon- 
noiter.  They  rowed  along  the  channel  between 
Anastasia  Island  and  the  main  shore.  After  land- 


4G4          Petals  Pinched  from  Sunny  Climes. 

ing  they  struck  across  the  island  on  foot,  traversing 
plains  and  marshes,  reaching  the  sea  toward  night. 
Craftily  concealing  his  troops  on  the  opposite  shore, 
he  climbed  a  tree  for  the  purpose  of  reconnoiter- 
ing.  From  this  point  he  saw  the  dismayed  band 
of  Frenchmen  grouped  together,  about  two  hun- 
dred strong,  and,  on  account  of  rough  waters,  were 
unable  to  cross  in  a  raft  they  had  constructed." 

We  have  now  seen  how,  when  Jean  Hibaut  was 
making  an  attack  on  the  Spaniards,  his  plans  were 
thwarted  by  a  storm  of  strange  fury.  One  of  the 
ships  was  wrecked  at  a  point  farther  northward  than 
the  rest,  and  it  was  her  company  whose  camp-fires 
were  seen  by  the  Spaniards  at  their  bivouac  among 
the  sands  of  Anastasia  Island.  They  were  attempt- 
ing to  reach  Fort  Caroline,  in  regard  to  whose  fate 
they  knew  nothing,  while  liibaut,  with  the  remain- 
der, was  farther  southward,  struggling  through  the 
wilderness  toward  the  same  goal.  Of  the  fate  of 
the  former  party  there  is  no  French  record.  So- 
lis,  the  priest  and  brother-in-law  to  Melendez,  was 
eye-witness  to  the  following  scenes,  a  report  of 
which  was  sent  to  Spain  : 

"When  the  Adelantado  saw  the  French  fires  at  a 
distance,  he  dressed  in  the  garb  of  a  common  sailor, 
and  rowed  toward  the  shipwrecked  men,  the  better 
to  learn  their  condition.  A  bold  Gascon  succeeded 
in  making  the  passage  by  swimming,  when  Melen- 
dez  demanded,  "  Who  are  you?  "  The  Frenchman 
replied,  "We  are  the  people  of  Ribaut,  Captain- 
general  of  Florida."  "Are  you  Lutherans?"  "We 
are  Lutherans."  "Gentlemen,"  continued  Helen- 


.  Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          465 

dez,  "your  fort  is  taken,  and  all  in  it  pnt  to  the 
sword,  save  the  women  and  children  under  fifteen 
years  of  age."  In  proof  of  which  he  caused  arti- 
cles of  plunder  from  Fort  Caroline  to  be  shown  to 
the  unhappy  Frenchmen. 

He  then  left  and  went  to  breakfast  with  his  officers, 
first  ordering  food  to  be  set  before  his  petitioners. 
Having  eaten,  he  returned  to  them.  "Are  you  con- 
vinced, now,  that  what  I  have  told  you  is  true?" 
The  French  captain  assented.  "But  assist  us  to 
leave — that  is,  in  truth,  what  wre  demand."  "De- 
mand nothing  of  me,  for  I  tell  you,  as  a  gentleman 
and  an  officer,  holding  a  high  commission  from  the 
Court  of  Spain,  that,  if  the  heavens  were  to  mingle 
before  my  eyes,  the  resolution  I  once  make  I  never 
change.  If  you  were  Catholics,  and  I  had  ships,  I 
would  help  you,  but  I  have  none." 

The  supplicants  expressed  a  hope  that  they  would 
be  allowed  to  remain  with  the  Spaniards  till  ships 
could  be  sent  to  their  relief,  since  there  was  peace 
between  the  two  nations,  whose  kings  were  friends 
and  brothers.  "  We  are  men  made  equally  in  the 
image  of  Deity,  and  serve  the  same  God,  if  not  at 
the  same  altars."  "If  you  will  give  up  your  arms 
and  banners,  and  place  yourselves  at  my  mercy,  you 
may  do  so,  and  I  will  act  toward  you  as  God  shall 
give  me  grace.  Do  as  you  will,  for  other  than  this 
you  can  have  neither  truce  nor  friendship  with  me." 

One  of  the  Frenchmen  recrossed  to  consult  with 
his  companions.  After  two  hours  he  returned,  offer- 
ing a  large  amount  for  their  lives,  which  was  not  ac- 
cepted. Privations  had  demoralized  these  starving 


466          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

Frenchmen,  who  then  gave  credence  to  vain  hopes 
which  they  would  not  have  entertained  from  an 
enemy  at  any  other  time.  They  had  no  other  re- 
source but  to  yield  themselves  to  his*  mercy.  The 
boat  was  again  sent  across  the  river,  and  returned 
laden  with  their  banners  and  weapons  of  warfare. 
The  Adelantado  ordered  twenty  of  his  men  to  bring 
over  ten  Frenchmen  at  a  time.  He  then  took  the 
French  officers  aside,  and,  with  a  semblance  of 
courtesy  on  his  lips  and  murder  in  his  heart,  he 
said :  "  Gentlemen,  I  have  but  few  men,  and  you 
are  so  man}7,  that,  if  you  were  free,  it  would  be 
easy  for  you  to  take  your  satisfaction  on  us  for 
the  people  we  killed  when  we  took  your  fort ; 
therefore  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  go  to  my 
camp,  four  leagues  distant  from  this  place,  with  your 
hands  tied."  Accordingly,  as  each  party  advanced, 
they  were  led  out  of  sight  behind  the  sand-hills, 
and  their  hands  tied  behind  them  with  the  match- 
cord  of  the  arquebuses,  though  not  before  they 
had  been  supplied  with  food.  Twelve  Breton  sailors 
professed  themselves  Catholics,  together  with  four 
carpenters  and  calkers,  "of  whom,"  writes  Me- 
lendez,  "I  was  in  great  need,"  who  were  put  on  a 
boat  and  sent  to  St.  Augustine.  The  remainder 
were  ordered  to  march  thither  by  land.  The  Ade- 
lantado walked  in  advance  until  he  came  to  a  lonely 
spot  not  far  distant  among  the  bush-covered  hills. 
Here  he  stopped  and  drew  a  line  in  the  sand  with 
his  cane.  Not  one  of  this  wretched  company,  not 
being  Catholics,  was  allowed  to  cross,  and  the  whole 
two  hundred  perished. 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          4G7 

Again  Melendez  returned  to  St.  Augustine,  gloat- 
ing over  his  success.  Great  as  had  been  his  victory, 
he  still  had  cause  for  anxiety,  as  Ribaut  could  not  be 
far  off.  On  the  next  day  Indians  cauie  with  the  tid- 
ings that  on  the  spot  where  the  first  party  of  the  ship- 
wrecked Frenchmen  had  been  found  was  now  an- 
other still  larger  party.  The  murder- loving  race 
looked  with  great  respect  on  Melendez,  for  his 
wholesale  butchery  of  the  night  before  was  an  ex- 
ploit rarely  equaled  in  their  own  annals  of  massa- 
cre. Melendez  doubted  not  that  Ribaut  was  at 
hand.  He  started  on  a  march  thither  immediately 
with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  reaching  the  inlet 
at  midnight,  when,  like  a  skulking  savage,  he  in- 
trenched himself  on  the  bank.  After  daybreak 
flags  of  truce  were  displayed  on  both  sides,  when 
La  Caille,  Ribaut's  sergeant-major,  informed  Me- 
lendez that  the  French  were  three  hundred  and 
fifty  in  number,  on  their  way  to  Fort  Caroline,  and, 
like  the  former  party,  begged  for  boats  to  aid  them 
in  crossing  the  river.  Melendez  gave  them  assur- 
ances of  safety,  and  sent  for  Ribaut  and  six  of  his 
companions.  On  their  arrival  he  met  them  courte- 
ously, caused  wine  and  preserved  fruits  to  be  placed 
before  them,  and  next  led  Ribaut  to  the  reeking  Gol- 
gotha, where,  in  heaps  upon  the  sand,  lay  the  corpses 
of  his  slaughtered  followers;  but  he  would  not  believe 
Fort  Caroline  had  been  taken  until  part  of  the  plun- 
der was  shown  him.  Ribaut  then  urged  that  the 
kings  of  Spain  and  France  were  brothers  and  close 
friends,  and  begged  that  the  Spaniards  would  aid 
him  in  carrying  h-is  followers  home.  Melendez 


468          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

gave  the  same  unequivocal  answer  as  before  to  the 
other  party.  Ribaut,  after  three  hours'  absence, 
came  back  in  the  canoe,  and  told  the  Adelantado 
that  some  of  his  people  were  willing  to  surrender, 
at  discretion,  but  many  refused.  "  They  can  do  as 
they  please,"  was  the  reply  of  Melendez.  Ribaut 
offered  large  rewards  for  those  who  had  surren- 
dered. Melendez  replied,  "I  have  great  need  of 
the  money,"  which  gave  the  French  encourage- 
ment, when  they  asked  permission  to  cross  the 
river.  In  the  morning  he  returned,  and  reported 
that  two  hundred  of  his  men  had  retreated  from 
the  spot,  but  the  remaining  one  hundred  and  fifty 
would  surrender.  At  the  same  time  he  gave  into 
the  hands  of  Melendez  the  royal  standard  and  other 
flags,  his  sword,  dagger,  helmet,  and  the  official  seal 
given  him  by  Coligny. 

Melendez  entered  the  boat  and  directed  his  officers 
to  brinar  over  the  French  bv  tens.     He  next  led  Ri- 

o  *> 

baut  among  the  bushes  behind  the  neighboring 
sand-hills,  when  he  ordered  his  hands  to  be  bound 
fast.  Then  the  scales  fell  from  his  eyes,  and  face  to 
face  his  fate  rose  up  before  him.  The  day  wore  on, 
and,  as  band  after  band  of  prisoners  were  brought 
over,  they  were  conducted  behind  the  sand-hills, 
out  of  sight  from  the  farther  shore,  like  their  gen- 
eral. "Are  you  Catholics  or  Lutherans?  and  are 
there  any  among  you  who  will  go  to  confession?" 
asked  Melendez.  Ribaut  answered,  "I  and  all 
here  are  of  the  Reformed  faith,"  at  the  same  time 
intoning  the  psalm,  "Memento,  Domine"  A  few 
were  spared.  "I  saved,"  writes  Melendez,  "the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         469 

lives  of  two  young  gentlemen  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  besides  the  fifer,  the  drummer,  and 
trumpeter;  but  I  caused  Jean  Ribaut,  with  all 
the  rest,  to  be  put  to  the  sword — judging  this  to 
be  expedient  for  the  service  of  God  our  Lord  and 
your  majesty." 

As  each  successive  party  landed,  their  hands 
were  bound  fast  behind  their  backs,  when  they 
were  driven,  like  cattle,  toward  the  fort.  At  a  sig- 
nal from  drums  and  trumpets  the  Spaniards  fell 
upon  them,  striking  them  down  with  swords,  pikes, 
and  halberds.  Ribaut  vainly  called  on  the  Adelan- 
tado  to  remember  his  oath.  By  his  order,  a  soldier 
plunged  a  dagger  into  the  French  commander's 
heart,  when  Ottigny,  who  stood  near,  met  a  similar 
fate.  The  head  of  Ribaut  was  then  hewn  into  four 
pieces,  one  part  of  which  was  displayed  on  the 
point  of  a  lance  at  each  corner  of  the  fort  in  St. 
Augustine.  Great  tires  were  kindled,  and  the  bod- 
ies of  the  murdered  burned  to  ashes.  At  night, 
when  the  Adelantado  again  entered  St.  August- 
ine, there  were  some  who  blamed  his  cruelty,  but 
many  applauded.  A  few  days  after,  the  remain- 
der of  the  shipwrecked  Frenchmen  were  discovered 
by  the  Indians,  who  again  informed  Melendez. 
In  all  haste  he  dispatched  messengers  for  a  ree'n- 
forcement  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  from  Fort 
Caroline.  On  the  2d  of  November  he  set  forth 
with  such  merciless  energy  that  some  of  his  men 
dropped  dead  with  fatigue.  When,  from  their  frail 
defenses,  the  French  saw  the  Spanish  pikes,  they 
fled,  panic-stricken,  taking  refuge  among  the  sand- 


470          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

hills.  Melendez  sent  a  trumpeter,  summoning 
them,  also  pledging  his  honor  for  their  safetj7. 
Some  of  them  sent  word  they  "  would  rather  be 
eaten  by  savages  than  trust  themselves  to  Span- 
iards," and,  escaping,  fled  to  the  Indian  towns. 
The  rest  surrendered,  and  Melendez  kept  his  word. 
Those  of  high  birth  ate  at  the  Adelantado's  table. 
The  captives'  fate  may  be  learned  from  a  reply  to 
one  of  Melendez's  dispatches.  "Say  to  him," 
writes  Philip  the  Second,  "that,  as  to  those  he  has 
killed,  he  has  done  well,  and,  as  to  those  he  has 
saved,  they  shall  be  sent  to  the  galleys."  Melendez, 
although  victorious  over  the  unfortunate  Frenchmen, 
had  other  troubles  to  contend  with  at  St.  August- 
ine and  San  Mateo.  The  Spaniards  became  rest- 
less, mutinied,  and  deserted,  leaving  his  forces  much 
weakened.  In  addition  to  this,  a  hostile  cazique 
lived  between  the  two  forts  —  thus  cutting  off  all 
communication  by  land  between  them.  Melen- 
dez made  an  attack  on  this  chief,  in  which  he 
was  repulsed — thus  compelling  him  to  act  on  the 
defensive.  As  these  improvident  Spaniards  con- 
sumed every  thing,  and  raised  nothing,  the  Indians 
became  weary  feeding  them  without  any  reward : 
for  this  cause  Melendez  was  forced  to  sail  for  Cuba 
to  obtain  supplies.  During  his  absence  a  Spanish 
fleet  arrived,  bringing  both  men  and  provisions, 
which  gave  them  much  encouragement.  The  mis- 
sionaries heretofore  meeting  with  such  rough  treat- 
ment, some  time  had  elapsed  since  any  new  arriv- 
als. However,  three  Jesuit  priests  were  discovered 
off  the  coast,  near  the  mouth  of  San  Mateo  River, 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          471 

making  inquiries  for  the  fort.  These  were  the  first 
of  that  Order  that  had  ever  come  to  America,  the 
others  being  Franciscans.  One  party  of  Indians  di- 
rected them,  while  afterward  they  were  murdered 
by  another  on  St.  George's  Island,  at  the  entrance 
of  San  Mateo  Eiver.  Melendez  now  sailed  for 
Spain,  to  interest  the  crown  in  behalf  of  his  colony. 
After  a  prosperous  voyage  across  the  sea,  he  landed 
on  the  shores  of  Spain,  where  he  was  received  with 
a  great  display  of  empty  honors,  which  did  not  .sat- 
isfy the  cravings  of  his  ambition.  It  was  money  he 
wanted,  to  strengthen  his  newly-acquired  territory, 
build  up  his  dominions,  and  with  them  a  great  name 
for  himself.  He  was  also  impatient  and  apprehen- 
sive in  regard  to  a  threatened  revenge  which  the 
French  had  proposed  taking  into  their  own  hands. 
In  vain  had  petitions  been  sent  by  the  relatives  of 
the  slain,  but  never,  until  a  new  Cavalier  entered 
the  field,  as  contestant,  in  the  person  of  the  daring 
Chevalier  de  Gourgues,  did  injured  humanity  find 
an  avenger,  or  outraged  France  a  champion.  De 
Gourgues,  being  of  gentle  birth,  according  to  the 
chivalrous  custom  in  those  days,  was  educated  to 
the  profession  of  arms.  He  entered  upon  his  du- 
ties as  a  private,  but  was  soon  promoted  on  account 
of  laurels  won  in  battle,  being  afterward  commis- 
sioned to  an  office  of  distinction,  as  captain  in  the 
regular  army.  He  was  given  the  command  of  a 
fortress,  which,  being  attacked  by  a  greatly  superior 
number  of  Spaniards,  compelled  him  to  surrender; 
his  men  were  all  killed,  and  himself  made  prisoner 
and  condemned  to  servitude  on  the  galleys.  Fortu- 


472          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

nately  for  himself,  the  vessel  on  which  he  worked 
was  shortly  afterward  captured  by  the  Turks,  which 
enabled  him  to  obtain  his  liberty.  Activity  being 
his  motto,  he  sailed  on  an  expedition  to  Brazil, 
from  which  enterprise  he  realized  a  considerable 
fortune.  On  the  return  of  De  Gourgues  to  France, 
and  hearing  of  the  cruelties  committed  against  his 
countrymen,  the  iron  of  revenge  was  driven  deep 
into  his  soul,  not  only  for  their  mistreatment,  but 
the  indignity  he  had  suffered  from  the  Spaniards 
himself.  ITe  accordingly  fitted  out  t\vo  vessels  and 
a  tender,  obtaining  a  charter  without  difficulty, 
under  the  pretext  of  going  to  Africa  and  bringing 
back  slaves.  He  communicated  his  plans  to  no  per- 
son, but  secured  the  services  of  one  of  Laudonniere's 
men,  who  had  remained  in  Florida  long  enough  to 
have  some  knowledge  of  the  country  and  the  lan- 
guage of  the  natives.  He  also  enlisted  the  services 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  picked  men,  and  set  sail 
from  Bordeaux  August  2,  1567.  In  order  to  better 
conceal  his  plans,  he  first  landed  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  where  he  encountered  some  of  the  natives, 
whom  he  repulsed — afterward,  sailing  westward,  he 
came  in  port  for  repairs  and  supplies  at  Santo  Do- 
mingo. When  he  reached  this  point  he  revealed 
to  his  crew  the  design  of  his  long  and  perilous 
voyage.  He  depicted,  in  glowing  colors,  the  wrongs 
sustained  by  their  countrymen,  which  yet  remained 
unavenged.  The  crew,  with  one  voice,  replied  that 
they  would  sustain  him  in  the  undertaking.  The 
voyage  was  soon  completed,  and  so  entirely  unsus- 
pecting were  the  Spaniards  of  an  attack  that,  on 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          473 

passing  Fort  Caroline — now  Fort  San  Mateo — De 
Gourgues  was  honored  with  a  salute  of  two  can- 
non, supposing  them  to  be  of  their  own  nation. 
He  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Altamaha,  and,  as 
his  galleys  drew  but  little  water,  and  were  provided 
with  oars,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  ascending  that 
river.  The  natives  received  them  kindly,  and  the 
soldiers  of  Laudonuiere  being  recognized,  their  mis- 
sion was  not  regarded  as  a  friendly  one. 

o  ^ 

Immediate  preparations  were  made  to  attack  the 
fort,  as  one  of  the  officers  had  reconnoitered  its 
strength.  These  works  had  been  much  improved  by 
the  Spaniards,  to  which  were  added  two  other  forts, 
the  whole  garrison  consisting  of  four  hundred  men. 
Its  present  condition  was  their  boast.  The  priest, 
Mendoza,  said,  "Not  half  of  France  could  take  it." 
De  Gourgues  formed  an  encampment  twelve  miles 
north  of  the  mouth  of  a  small  river.  The  whole 
affair  was  conducted  in  a  most  skillful  and  secret 
manner,  he  using  the  Indians  as  valuable  accessions 
in  the  enterprise,  they  being  no  friends  to  the  Span- 
iards. The  French  approached  the  fort  at  dawn, 
but  remained  concealed  until  the  tide  receded,  that 
they  might  reach  the  island  on  which  it  stood. 
They  made  the  attack  at  midday,  when  the  two 
small  forts  were  carried  by  direct  assault,  killing 
nearly  all  the  men,  about  sixty  in  number,  while  the 
avenues  of  escape  loading  from  Fort  Mateo  were 
guarded  by  the  Indians.  Fort  San  Mateo  alone  re- 
mained, which  was  three  miles  above.  Arnon°;  the 

*  O 

prisoners   saved  was    a    sergeant,  who    knew   the 
heights  of  the  ramparts,  and  could  draw  a  plan  of 
21 


474          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

the  fort.  "While  ladders  were  being  prepared  to 
scale  the  works,  the  garrison  precipitated  its  fate 
by  a  sally,  afterward  making  an  attempt  to  gain  the 
woods.  The  thickets  were  filled  with  exasperated 
Indians,  and  not  one  Spaniard  escaped.  A  few 
prisoners  were  taken,  which  De  Gourgnes  suspended 
on  the  same  tree  that  had  borne  his  countrymen; 
and  for  the  monument  and  inscription  of  Melendez 
was  substituted  a  pine  plank  with  this  inscription: 
"Not  as  Spaniards,  or  mariners,  but  as  traitors,  rob- 
bers, and  murderers."  To  render  this  work  of  de- 
struction more  complete,  they  entirely  demolished 
the  forts.  When  returning  to  his  ships,  he  ex- 
claimed, "All  that  we  have  done  was  for  the  service 
of  the  king,  and  for  the  honor  of  the  country!" 
His  soldiers,  flushed  with  victory,  proposed  an  attack 
on  St.  Augustine,  but  De  Gourgues  felt  that  his  re- 
sources were  insufficient.  For  some  time  subse- 
quent to  this  period  the  Spaniards  retained  Florida, 
although  their  forts  had  been  destroyed  on  San  Ma- 
teo  River.  After  the  arrival  of  De  Gourgues  in  his 
own  country  the  French  Government  persecuted 
him,  and  the  Spanish  pursued  him  until  his  death. 
He  died  deeply  involved  from  the  expense  connected 
with  his  expedition.  Thus  terminated  all  dispute 
in  regard  to  French  Florida — the  question  then  to 
be  decided  was  between  the  British  and  Spaniards. 
Melendez,  after  making  other  efforts  to  Christianize 
the  Indians,  having  brought  over  more  missionaries, 
which  they  murdered  without  distinction,  regarding 
the  priests  and  people  as  sworn  enemies,  abandoned 
the  enterprise,  and  turned  his  attention  entirely 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          475 

to  arms.  However,  in  the  midst  of  his  career,  he 
was  cut  down  by  death,  at  Santander,  a  town  sit- 
uated on  the  northern  coast  of  Spain,  A.D.  1574, 
after  having  received  the  appointment  of  Captain- 
general  over  a  Spanish  armada  of  three  hundred 
vessels. 

From  the  above  history  it  will  be  seen  that  Flor- 
ida remained  for  many  years  disputed  ground,  the 
scene  of  numerous  conflicts  from  different  sources. 
Whether  the  priest  with  his  cross,  or  the  warrior 
with  his  sword,  they  all  came  to  vie  with  each 
other  in  the  establishment  of  creeds  and  division  of 
spoils.  It  was  in  1564  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who, 
being  present  when  the  men  from  Fort  Caroline,  or 
Port  Royal,  were  received  by  the  queen,  was  thus 
stimulated  with  a  desire  to  visit  this  newly-explored 
country.  This  feeling  was  increased  by  De  Morgues, 
the  companion  and  artist  who  came  with  Laudon- 
niere,  and  had  furnished  them  with  beautiful  draw- 
ings of  his  travels  in  these  far-off  lands.  It  was  the 
intention  of  Sir  Walter,  besides  making  discoveries, 
to  capture  Spanish  galleons,  which  would  satisfy  his 
desire  for  gain.  This  plundering  policy,  which  had 
been  pursued  so  extensively  by  all  the  adventurers, 
was  in  no  way  designed  to  promote  the  welfare  of  a 
new  settlement.  Under  the  auspices  of  the  English 
throne  an  expedition  was  sent,  commanded  by  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  which  landed  on  the  coast  of  Flor- 
ida, as  the  division  of  the  country  was  then  recog- 
nized. After  his  arrival  he  thus  mentions  the  In- 
dians :  "  These  people  were  most  loving  and  faithful, 
such  as  lived  after  the  golden  age."  He  was  also 


476          Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes. 

much  impressed  with  the  land  along  the  shores  as 
they  passed.  "The  fragrance,"  he  says,  "was  as  if 
they  had  been  in  the  midst  of  some  delicate  garden, 
with  all  kinds  of  odoriferous  flowers."  Raleigh  also 
visited  the  Indies,  and  on  his  return  succeeded  in 
capturing  a  ship  richly  laden  with  Spanish  treasures, 
after  which  he  sailed  for  England,  where  a  warm 
welcome  awaited  him.  Contrary  to  his  expectations, 
on  his  arrival  he  became  too  much  occupied  with 
affairs  of  a  different  nature  to  visit  America  again. 
However,  other  expeditions  wrere  fitted  out,  which 
settled  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  It  was  in 
1586  that  Sir  Francis  Drake,  the  English  adventurer, 
while  coming  from  the  West  Indies,  discovered  the 
lookout  at  Anastasia  Island,  which  commanded  the 
approach  to  St.  Augustine  harbor.  He  landed,  bring- 
ing a  piece  of  ordnance,  from  which,  after  planting, 
he  fired  two  shots,  one  of  them  damaging  the  Span- 
ish standard,  and  the  other  striking  the  castle.  The 
next  day  they  renewed  the  attack,  with  no  return 
of  hostilities  from  the  shore,  and  on  landing  found 
the  town  deserted.  In  the  fort  they  discovered  the 
mahogany  treasury-chest,  containing  two  thousand 
pounds  sterling,  designed  for  paying  the  troops, 
which  Sir  Francis  confiscated.  The  castle  at  this 
time  was  the  foundation  of  the  Selooe  defense,  re- 
paired by  Melendez.  It  was  constructed  from  the 
trunks  of  pine-trees  planted  upright,  similar  to  our 
stockades  of  the  present  day,  without  ditches. 
Trunks  of  trees  were  laid  across  the  whole  struct- 
ure, after  which  it  was  covered  with  earth.  The 
works,  being  unfinished,  were  incapable  of  resisting  a 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.         477 

naval  attack.  An  English  officer,  while  pursuing  the 
Spaniards,  was  shot,  for  which  act  the  English  sacked 
and  then  burned  St.  Augustine.  It  is  said  this 
town  then  contained  a  monastery,  church,  and  hall 
of  justice — certainly  very  little  to  tempt  the  cupidity 
of  a  West  Indies  privateer.  Sir  Francis  made  this 
expedition  on  the  ground  that  Spain  had  damaged 
the  English  commerce  during  their  troubles.  In 
1603,  more  than  a  hundred  years  from  the  discovery 
of  Cabot,  and  twenty  years  from  the  time  Raleigh 
sent  out  his  first  expedition,  not  an  Englishman  re- 
mained in  the  New  World.  In  1702,  Spain  and 
England  not  being  friendly,  Governor  Moore,  of 
South  Carolina,  proposed  an  expedition  against  St. 
Augustine,  for  the  purpose  of  displaying  his  military 
prowess,  capturing  Indians,  or  enriching  himself 
with  plunder.  Colonel  Daniel  took  charge  of  the 
land  portion  of  the  enterprise,  which  ascended  the 
St.  John's,  crossed  over  the  country  from  Picolata, 
entered  the  town  without  resistance,  and  sacked  it. 
The  inhabitants,  being  warned  of  their  intentions, 
had  supplied  themselves  with  four  months'  rations, 
and  taken  refuge,  with  their  gold  and  valuables,  in 
the  castle,  from  which  place  they  could  not  be  dis- 
lodged. When  Governor  Moore  landed  and  saw 
their  position,  he  sent  to  Jamaica  for  cannon  and 
mortars.  Before  their  arrival  the  Spaniards  received 
assistance  by  a  fleet  coming  from  Havana.  On 
their  appearance  Governor  Moore  became  panic- 
stricken,  left  his  vessels,  and  fled  by  land  to  Caro- 
lina. On  the  return  of  Colonel  Daniel,  he,  not 
knowing  the  siege  had  been  raised,  narrowly  escaped 


478          Petals  Plucked  from.  Sunny  Climes. 

falling  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  The  besieged 
prisoners  now  came  from  the  castle,  after  a  stay  of 
three  months,  to  find  their  pleasant  homes  destroyed. 
During  1715  Florida  received  a  new  accession 
from  the  Yemassees.  These  Indians  were  found  in 
Florida  when  the  Spaniards  first  landed,  but  deserted 
the  country  on  account  of  efforts  being  made  to  con- 
vert them  to  Christianity.  They  took  refuge  in  Caro- 
lina, where,  after  remaining  awhile,  they  massacred 
some  of  the  English  colonists,  and  then  retreated  to 
St.  Augustine  for  protection.  Here  they  were  re- 
ceived with  marked  demonstrations  of  kindness, 
accompanied  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of 
cannon.  The  Spaniards  in  Florida,  having  had  a 
respite  from  troublesome  invaders  for  some  time, 
were  progressing  prosperously,  until  after  the  arrival 
of  General  Oglethorpe  from  England.  In  1737, 
hostilities  having  commenced  between  Spain  and 
England,  Oglethorpe,  fearing  an  attack  from  the 
Spaniards,  planted  a  battery  on  Cumberland  Island 
as  a  defense.  This  movement  was  productive  of  dis- 
sension among  the  settlers.  England  claimed  as  far 
as  the  St.  John's,  on  account  of  discoveries  made  by 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  while  the  Spanish  sent  a  com- 
missioner for  the  English  to  abandon  all  the  ter- 
ritory south  of  St.  Helena's  Sound,  which  they  re- 
fused to  relinquish.  When  the  Spanish  ascertained 
that  Oglethorpe  had  taken  command  of  the  English 
forces,  a  party  from  St.  Augustine  garrison  advanced 
as  far  as  Amelia  Island,  killed  two  Highlanders, 
and  then  cut  off  their  heads.  The  English  pursued 
them  to  San  Mateo,  on  the  St.  John's,  drove  in  the 


Petals  Plucked  from  Sunny  Climes.          479 

Spanish  guards,  and  then  sailed  up  the  river  as  far  as 
Cavallas.  After  the  return  of  Oglethorpe  he  com- 
menced recruiting  from  the  Creek  and  Cherokee 
Indians,  thus  making  active  preparations  for  block- 
ading St.  Augustine  before  men  and  supplies  could 
arrive  from  Havana.  Don  Manuel  being  governor 
then,  he  was  ready  for  defense.  General  Oglethorpe 
did  not  succeed  in  capturing  the  town,  although  he 
invested  three  fortifications,  advancing  with  his 
forces  to  its  gates,  killing  several  Spanish  troops 
under  the  walls  of  the  fort.  Fort  Diego,  twenty-five 
miles  from  St.  Augustine,  Fort  Francis  de  Pupa, 
seventeen  miles,  and  Fort  Moosa,  two  miles  north, 
commonly  called  Negro  Fort,  where  the  runaway 
slaves  were  harbored,  all  surrendered.  In  1748  a 
treat}'  of  peace  was  concluded  between  Spain  and 
England,  which  left  Florida  in  the  quiet  possession 
of  the  Spaniards  for  man}'  years. 


FLORIDA  GAZETTEER  OF  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT 
POINTS  IN  THE  STATE. 


ABE'S  SPRING. — The  county-seat  of  Calhoun,  104  miles  south-west 
from  Tallahassee. 

ADAMSVILLE. — A  small  settlement  in  Sumter  county,  5  miles  west 
of  Leesburg,  containing  a  post-office. 

ALACHUA  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Gainesville. 

ALAFIA. — A  settlement  on  Alafia  River,  in  Hillsboro  county,  con- 
taining a  post-office. 

ALIQUA. — Settlement  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  in  Walton 
county,  West  Florida,  where,  it  is  said,  the  houses  were  forty 
miles  apart. 

ALMIRANTK. — Walton  count}',  West  Florida,  near  the  Alabama 
line. 

ANCLOTE  RIVER. — A  tributary  of  Clear  Water  Harbor,  in  Hillsboro 
county. 

ANDERSON. — In  Santa  Ro#a  county,  West  Florida. 

APOPKA. — Near  Lake  Apopka,  in  Orange  county,  containing  a 
post-office.  The  name  implies  "Potato-eating  Town." 

APPALACHICOLA. — Contains  a  post-office,  and  is  situated  at  the 
mouth  of  a  river  of  the  same  name.  It  was  formerly  a  pros- 
perous city,  but,  on  account  of  the  cotton  being  taken  by  the 
railroads,  has  declined. 

ARCHER. — Post-offie.  A  town  in  Alachua  county,  41  miles  from 
Cedar  Keys. 

ARLINGTON. — In  Duval  county,  opposite  Jacksonville. 

ARREDONDO. — Post-office.  A  station  54  miles  from  Cedar  Keys,  in 
Alachua  county. 

ASPALAGA. — In  Gadsden  county,  on  Appalachicola  River. 

ATJCILLA. — Jefferson  county,  on  the  Pensacola  and  Mobile  Railroad. 

AUGUSTA. — On  the  hack-line  from  Gainesville  to  Tampa. 

BAGDAD. — On  Pensacola  Bay,  Santa  Rosa  county,  West  Florida. 
21*  (481) 


482  Florida  Gazetteer. 

BAKER  COUNTY. — Celebrated  for  its  timber,  turpentine,  and  agri- 
cultural productions.  In  East  Florida. 

BALDWIN. — Post-office  and  telegraph-station,  20  miles  from  Jack- 
sonville, on  the  Pensacola  and  Mobile  Kailroad. 

BANANA  RIVER. — A  branch  of  the  Indian  River. 

BARRANCAS. — A  fort  commanding  the  entrance  to  Pensacola  Bay. 

BARRSTILLE. — In  Columbia  county,  south  of  Lake  City.  Post- 
office. 

BARTOW. — County-seat  of  Polk  county,  South  Florida. 

BATTON. — A  station  on  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad. 

BAYPORT. — Post-office.     A  town  in  Hernando  county. 

BEAR  CREEK. — Near  St.  Andrew's  Bay. 

BEECHER. — A  steamboat-landing  in  Putnam  county,  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  St.  John's. 

BELLVILLE. — Post-office.     A  settlement  in  Hamilton  county. 

BENELLA. — On  the  St.  John's  River,  120  miles  above  Jacksonville. 

BENTON. — Post-office,  in  Columbia  county,  on  the  upper  waters  of 
Suwanee  River. 

BISCAYNE. — County-seat  of  Dade  county,  formerly  called  Miami. 

BLACK  CREEK. — A  tributary  of  the  St.  John's  River,  near  Magnolia. 

BLACK  POINT. — A  steamboat-landing.  10  miles  above  Jacksonville. 

BLACKWATER  RIVER. — A  tributary  of  Pensacola  Bay,  in  Santa 
Rosa  county,  West  Florida. 

BLOTJNT'S  FERRY. — On  the  Suwanee  River,  in  Columbia  county. 
Post-office. 

BLUE  CREEK. — Liberty  county,  near  Gadsden. 

BLUE  SPRING. — Jackson  county,  west  of  Marianna. 

BLUE  SPRING. — Post-office,  Volusia  county. 

BLUNT'S  TOWN. — Calhoun  county,  West  Florida. 

BRADFORD  COUNTY. — On  the  West  India  Transit  Company  Rail- 
road. County-seat,  Lake  Butler. 

BREVARD  COUNTY. — Lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Indian  River.  Fort 
Pierce,  the  county-seat. 

BRISTOL.— County-seat  of  Liberty  county.     Post-office. 

BRONSON. — County-seat  of  Levy  county.  Post-office.  On  the  West 
India  Transit  Railroad.  12  miles  from  here,  is  a  bed  of  iron  ore. 

BROOKLYN. — A  town  near  Jacksonville.     Rather  prospective. 

BROOKSVILLE. — County-seat  of  Hernando  county.  Post-office.  On 
the  Tampa  stage-line. 

BROTHER'S  RIVER. — In  Calhoun  county,  West  Florida. 


Florida  Gazetteer.  483 

BUFFALO  BLUFF. — On  the  west  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  in  Putnam 
county.  Post-office. 

BULOW'S  CREEK. — In  Volusia  county. 

BUNKER  HILL. — Near  Lake  Miccosukee,  Leon  county. 

BURRIN. — Bradford  county.     On  the  "West  India  Transit  Railroad. 

CABBAGE  BLUFF. — On  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  162  miles 
above  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

CALHOUN  COUNTY. — West  Florida.  County-seat,  Abe's  Spring 
Bluff. 

CALLAHAN. — On  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad,  27  miles  from 
Fernandina.  Post-office. 

CALOOSAHATCHEE  RIVER. — A  navigable  stream  which  empties  into 
Charlotte  Harbor. 

CAMPBELLTON. — A  settlement  in  Jackson  county. 

CAMP  IZARD. — In  Marion  county,  on  the  Withlacoochee  River. 
Post-office. 

CEDAR  KEYS. — In  Levy  county.  Terminus  of  the  West  India 
Transit  Railroad.  Post-office. 

CEDAR  TREE. — In  Hernando  county,  south  of  Brooksville. 

CENTERVILLE. — Near  Tallahassee,  Leon  county.     Post-office. 

CERRO  GORDO. — The  county-seat  of  Holmes  county.     Post-office. 

CHALK  SPRING. — Santa  Rosa  county,  West  Florida.     Post-office. 

CHARLES  FERRY. — On  Suwanee  River,  in  Suwanee  county. 

CHATTAHOOCHEE. — The  terminus  of  the  Jacksonville,  Pensacola, 
and  Mobile  Railroad.  In  Gadsden  county.  Post-office,  Peniten- 
tiary, Lunatic  Asylum. 

CHIPOLA  RIVER. — A  tributary  of  the  Appalachicola  River. 

CHOCTAWHATCHEE  RIVER. — Flows  into  a  bay  of  the  same  name,  in 
West  Florida. 

CIRCLE  HILL. — Near  Marianna,  Jackson  county.     Post-office. 

CLAY  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Green  Cove  Spring,  on  the  St.  John's. 

CLAY  LANDING. — In  Levy  county,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Suwa- 
nee, near  its  month. 

CLEAR  AVATER. — Post-office.     On  the  Gulf  coast,  Hillsboro  county. 

CLIFTON. — A  town  in  Madison  county. 

COCOANUT  GROVE. — In  Bade  county. 

COLUMBIA  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Lake  City. 

COOK'S  FERRY. — A  landing  on  Lake  Harney,  224  miles  above  Jack- 
sonville. 

CORK. — In  Hillsboro  county.     Post-office. 


484  Florida  Gazetteer. 

CORKSCREW  KIVER. — Monroe  county,  South  Florida. 

COTTON   PLANT. — A   settlement   west   of  Ocala,   Marion   county. 

Post-office. 

CRAWFORDSVILLE. — County-seat  of  "Wakulla  county.     Post-office. 
CRESWELL. — In  Leon  county. 
CRYSTAL  RIVER. — A  clear  stream  of  water  flowing  through  Her- 

nando  county,  emptying  into  the  Gulf. 
DADE  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Key  Biscayne. 
DANCEY'S  PLACE. — A  landing  on  the  St.  John's,  G5  miles  above 

Jacksonville.     Post-office. 
DANIEL. — A  settlement  near  the  mouth  of  Suwancc  River,  in  Levy 

county. 

DARBYVILLE. — Near  Baldwin,  Baker  county.     Post-office. 
DAVIS. — A  station  on  the  railroad,  near  Chattahoochee. 
DAYTONIA. — A  settlement  on  Halifax  River,  in  Volusia  county. 

In  very  flourishing  condition. 
DEEP  CREEK. — A  tributary  of  Lake  Harney. 
DELK'S  BLUFF. — A  steamboat-landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  River, 

100  miles  from  its  mouth. 
DRAYTON  ISLAND. — On  the  St.  John's,  in  Lake  George,  Marion 

county. 
DUMMITT'S  GROVE. — A  noted  orange-grove,  in  Volusia  county,  on 

the  northern  end  of  Indian  River. 
DUNN  LAWTON. — A  portion  of  the  Turnbull  Swamp,  in  Volusia 

county. 

DUNN'S  LAKE. — A  small  settlement  in  Volusia  county.    Post-office. 
DURISOE. — A  steamboat-landing,  89  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 

Ocklawaha  River. 
DUTTON. — A  station  32  miles  from  Fcrnandina,  on  the  West  India 

Transit  Railroad. 

DUVAL  COUNTY. — On  the  St.  John's.     County-seat,  Jacksonville. 
EAU  CLAIRE. — A  colony  from  Wisconsin,  near  Mellonville,  Orange 

county. 
EAU  GALLIE. — On  Indian  River,  in   Brevard  county,  near  Lgi<e 

Washington.     Post-office. 
ECONFINA. — In  Washington  county,  West  Florida,  on  a  river  of 

the  same  name.     Post-office. 
EGMONT  ISLAND. — Situated  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  at  the  entrance 

of  E^piritu  Santo  Bay. 
ELBOW  CREEK. — Rises  in  the  swamps  near  Lake  Washington. 


Florida  Gazetteer.  485 

ELLA.VILLE. — A  station  on  the  Jacksonville,  Pensacola,  and  Mobile 
Kailroad,  95  miles  from  Jacksonville. 

ELLISVILLE. — A  place  without  much  celebrity  at  present,  in  Co- 
lumbia county. 

EMANUELS. — A  landing-place  on  the  St.  John's,  184  miles  above 
Jacksonville. 

ENTERPRISE. — The  county-seat  of  Volusia  county  since  1854.  Sit- 
uated 205  miles  beyond  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

ESCAMBIA  COUNTY. — Situated  in  "West  Florida,  bordering  on  the 
Gulf.  This  county  was  first  incorporated  by  order  of  General 
Jackson,  July,  1821. 

ESCAMBIA  KIVER. — A  tributary  of  Escambia  Bay,  West  Florida. 

EUREKA. — Two  points  in  Florida  bear  this  popular  name.  One  is 
on  the  Ocklawaha,  60  miles  above  its  mouth,  in  Marion  county; 
the  other,  on  the  upper  St.  John's,  in  Orange  county. 

FEDERAL  POINT. — Situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  GO 
miles  above  Jacksonville,  in  Putnam  county. 

FLEMINGTON. — Post-ofiice.  A  small  town  on  the  Gainesville  stage- 
route. 

FORT  BROOKS. — A  steamboat-landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  Kiver, 
near  Orange  Springs. 

FORT  GATES. — A  steamboat-landing,  110  miles  from  Jacksonville, 
on  the  St.  John's  River,  in  Putnam  county. 

FORT  GEORGE  ISLAND. — Situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's 
River.  Contains  a  good  hotel,  with  accommodations  for  winter 
and  summer  visitors. 

FORT  MEAD. — On  Pease  Creek,  80  miles  above  its  mouth.  In  Polk 
county.  Cattle-sales  are  its  principal  commerce. 

FORT  PIERCE. — Situated  on  Indian  River.  County-seat  of  Bre- 
vard  county. 

FORT  REID. — Post-office.  An  enterprising,  growing  town,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Mellonville,  on  the  St.  John's. 

FORT  TAYLOR. — Post-office.     In  Hernando  county. 

FRANKLIN  COUNTY. — Near  the  mouth  of  Appalachicola  River. 
County-seat,  Appalachicola. 

FREEPORT. — Post-office.    Located  in  "Walton  county,  "West  Florida. 

GADSDEN  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Quincy. 

GAINESVILLE. — A  large,  flourishing  town  on  the  West  India  Tran- 
sit Railroad.  Post-office,  churches,  good  boarding-houses. 

GEORGETOWN. — A  steamboat-landing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St. 


486  Florida  Gazetteer. 

John's,  in  Putnam  county,  117  miles  above  Jacksonville.  Post- 
office. 

GORDON. — The  terminus  of  the  semi-weekly  hack-line  from  Gaines- 
ville. In  Alachua county. 

GORES. — A  landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  83  miles  above  its 
mouth. 

GRAHAM. — On  the  Ocklawaha,  84  miles  above  its  mouth. 

GREEN  COVE  SPRINGS. — A  noted  resort  on  the  west  bank  of  the  St. 
John's,  30  miles  above  Jacksonville.  County-seat  of  Clay  county. 
Post-office. 

GREENWOOD. — A  town  in  Jackson  county,  near  Marianna.  Post- 
office. 

HALIFAX  RIVER. — In  Volusia  county.  It  is  formed  by  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Haulover  and  Bulow  Creeks,  and  the  Tomoka  River. 
It  is  a  mile  wide,  and  30  miles  in  length,  running  nearly  parallel 
with  the  coast. 

HATCHES  RIVER. — Rises  in  Manatee  county,  and  flows  into  Char- 
lotte Harbor. 

HAMBURG. — A  town  of  small  note,  near  Madison,  Madison  county. 

HAMILTON  COUNTY. — On  the  Georgia  line.  Contains  an  area  of 
about  400  square  acres. 

HAMOSASSA. — A  settlement  in  Hernando  county,  near  the  Gulf 
coast. 

HANSON  TOWN. — Named  from  the  late  Surgeon  Hanson.  Located 
in  the  vicinity  of  Jacksonville. 

HATCH'S  BEND. — Settlement  near  the  Santa  Fe  River,  in  La  Fay- 
ette  county.  Post-office. 

HAULOVER  CREEK. — A  branch  of  Halifax  River,  in  Volusia  county. 

HAWKINSVILLE. — A  landing  on  the  west  bank  of  the  St.  John's, 
100  miles  from  Jacksonville,  in  Orange  county. 

HAW  CREEK. — A  tributary  of  Dunn's  Lake,  Volusia  county. 

HAYWOOD'S  LANDING. — On  Chattahoochee  River,  Jackson  county. 

HERNANDO  COUNTY.     County-seat,  Brooksville. 

HIBERXIA. — A  pleasant  stopping-place,  in  Clay  county,  on  the  St. 
John's,  22  miles  above  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

HICKORY  HILL. — Near  Marianna,  Washington  county,  West  Fla. 

HILLSBORO  COUNTY. — Celebrated  for  cattle-raising.  Tampa  is  the 
county-seat. 

HILLSBORO  RIVER. — A  favorite  name  for  rivers  in  Florida — the  first 
Ilillsboro  being  a  tributary  of  Tampa  Bay;  the  second,  Hillsboro 


Florida  Gazetteer.  487 

River  in  Dade  county,  on  the  Atlantic  coast;  the  third,  a  lagoon 
in  Volusia  county. 

HOGARTH'S  LANIUXG. — On  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  36  miles 
above  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

HOLMES  COUNTY. — Near  the  Alabama  line.  County-seat,  Cerro 
Gordo. 

HORSE  LANDING. — On  the  St.  John's  River,  94  miles  above  Jack- 
sonville, in  Putnam  county. 

HOUSTON. — On  the  Jacksonville  and  Pensacola  Railroad,  in  Suwa- 
nee  county.  Post-office. 

IAMONIA. — In  Leon  county,  on  a  lake  of  the  same  name.    Post-office. 

INDIAN  RIVER. — A  body  of  salt-water  100  miles  in  length — more 
properly  a  bay,  as  it  has  no  current  except  when  agitated  by  the 
wind. 

IOLA. — The  name  of  two  places — one  in  Calhoun  county,  contain- 
ing a  post-office — the  other,  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  50  miles 
above  its  mouth. 

ISTEEN  HATCHES  RIVER. — In  La  Fayette  county. 

JACKSON  COUNTY. — Located  in  West  Florida.  County-seat,  Ma- 
rianna. 

JACKSONVILLE. — The  commercial  mart,  or  great  entrepot,  of  Flor- 
ida. In  Duval  county,  on  the  St.  John's  River. 

JASPER — County-seat  of  Hamilton  county.     Post-office. 

JEFFERSON  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Monticello. 

JENNINGS. — In  Hamilton  county,  near  the  Georgia  line.  Post-office. 

JUPITER  NARROWS. — On  the  Atlantic  coast,  near  New  Smyrna. 

KEY  LARGO. — The  longest  on  the  coast  of  Florida. 

KEY  WEST. — County-seat  of  Monroe  county.     Post-office. 

KEY  BISCAYNE. — Small  settlement.  County-seat  of  Dade  county. 
Post-office. 

KING'S  ROAD. — Built  by  Governor  Grant,  from  New  Smyrna  to  St. 
Mary's,  via  St.  Augustine  and  Jacksonville. 

KISSIME  RIVER. — In  Brevard  county. 

KNOX  HILL. — A  Scotch  settlement  in  West  Florida.     Post-office. 

LA  FAYETTE  COUNTY. — In  South  Florida,  bounded  by  the  Suwanee 
River.  County-seat,  New  Troy. 

LAKE  BUTLER. — County-seat  of  Bradford  county. 

LAKE  CITY. — A  place  of  resort  for  asthmatics.  County-seat  of 
Columbia  county.  Post-office. 

LAKE  EUSTIS. — In  Orange  county.     Post-office. 


488  Florida  Gazetteer. 

LAKE  GRIFFIN. — Near  Leesburg,  on  Lake  Griffin.  Rapidly  im- 
proving. Post-office. 

LAKE  HARNEY. — A  resort  in  midwinter  for  excursionists,  located 
partly  in  Volusia  and  Orange  counties.  It  is  225  miles  above 
Jacksonville. 

LAKK  OKEECHOBEE. — The  largest  lake  in  Florida,  extending  over 
an  area  of  more  than  65  square  miles. 

LAKE  VIEW. — On  the  east  bank  of  Lake  George.     Post-office. 

LAKE  WORTH. — Near  the  Atlantic  coast,  north  of  Miami  River. 

LAWTEY. — Near  Trail  Bridge.  The  Chicago  Colony  has  located 
here,  established  a  hotel,  built  many  residences,  planted  orange- 
groves  and  other  fruits. 

LA  VILLA. — A  suburban  town  near  Jacksonville. 

LEESBURG. — County-seat  of  Sumter  county.  A  fine,  thrifty,  grow- 
ing place. 

LEON  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Tallahassee. 

LEVY  COUNTY. — Borders  on  the  Gulf.    County-seat,  Bronson. 

LEVYVILLE. — In  Levy  county,  west  of  Bronson. 

LIBERTY. — In  Hamilton  county,  near  the  Georgia  Line. 

LIBERTY  COUNTY. — A  tract  of  land  known  as  the  Forbes  Purchase, 
bounded  west  by  the  Appalachicola  River. 

LITTLE  RIVER. — In  Gadsden  county. 

LIVE  OAK. — In  Suwanee  county,  its  principal  importance  being 
attributable  to  the  junction  of  railroads.  Post-office,  telegraph- 
station. 

LOTUS. — In  Jackson  county,  south  of  Marianna. 

LOWER  WHITE  SPRING. — On  the  Suwanee  River,  in  Hamilton 
county.  Remarkable  for  its  medicinal  properties  in  curing  gout 
and  rheumatism. 

MADISON. — County-seat  of  Madison  county.  Post-office,  tele- 
graph-station, good  accommodations. 

MADISON  COUNTY. — Belongs  to  the  undulating  portion  of  the  State. 
County-seat,  Madison. 

MAGNOLIA. — A  winter -resort  on  the  St.  John's,  28  miles  above 
Jacksonville.  In  Clay  county. 

MANATEE. — A  very  nice,  flourishing  town,  on  the  Gulf  coast,  in 
Manatee  county.  Post-office. 

MANATEE  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Pine  Level.  Celebrated  for  its 
extensive  cattle-ranges. 

MANATEE  RIVER. — A  short,  navigable  stream,  in  Manatee  county. 


Florida  Gazetteer.  489 

MANDARIN. — Located  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  15  miles 
above  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

MARIANNA. — County-seat  of  Jackson  county,  30  miles  west  of  the 
Chattahoochee  Kiver. 

MARION  COUNTY. — One  of  the  central  counties  of  East  Florida. 
Noted  for  its  fertility  of  soil  and  superabundance  of  hummock- 
lands. 

MAYPORT. — Situated  at  the  mouth  of  St.  John's  River.  It  was 
named  from  May  River,  so  called  by  the  French. 

MARY  ESTHER. — Small  settlement  in  Santa  Rosa  county,  "West 
Florida.  Post-office. 

MATANZAS  INLET. — A  body  of  water  separating  Anastasia  Island 
from  the  main-land. 

MELLONVILLE. — On  the  St.  John's  River  (here  called  Lake  Mon- 
roe), 200  miles  above  Jacksonville. 

MERRITT'S  ISLAND. — In  Volusia  county,  and  remarkable  for  the 
mildness  of  its  climate. 

MIAMI  RIVER. — In  Dade  county.  Has  its  source  in  the  Ever- 
glades, and  empties  into  Biscayne  Bay. 

MICANOPY. — On  the  hack-line,  15  miles  from  Gainesville,  in  Alachua 
county.  Supposed  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  ancient  village,  Cus- 
cowilla. 

MICCOSUKEE. — Situated  in  Leon  county,  near  a  lake  of  the  same 
name. 

MIDWAY. — A  lumber  port  in  Gadsden  county,  West  Florida.  Post- 
office. 

MILLWOOD. — On  the  Chattahoochee  River,  in  Jackson  county. 

MILTON. — County-seat  of  Santa  Rosa  county.  Post-office.  Fine 
facilities  for  loading  ships  with  lumber. 

MITCHELL. — In  Escambia  county,  near  the  Alabama  line. 

MOLINA. — Situated  on  the  Escambia  River,  West  Florida.  Post- 
office. 

MONROE  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Key  West,  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

MONTICELLO. — County-seat  of  Jefferson  county.  Post-office,  tele- 
graph-station. Near  this  town  was  located  the  old  Murat  plan- 
tation, called  "Liponia." 

MONTICELLO  JUNCTION. — Where  a  branch  road  connects  with  the 
Jacksonville  and  Pensacola  Railroad. 

Moss  BLUFF. — A  landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  140  miles  from 
its  mouth. 


490  Florida  Gazetteer. 

MOUNT  ROYAL. — A  landing  on  the  cast  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  109 
miles  above  Jacksonville. 

MOUNT  VERNON. — At  the  confluence  of  the  Flint  and  Chattahoo- 
chee  Rivers,  in  Jackson  county. 

MULBERRY  GROVE. — In  Duvul  county,  11  miles  above  Jacksonville, 
on  the  St.  John's  River. 

MUSQUITO  INLET. — Near  Indian  River,  in  Volusia  county. 

MYAKKA. — A  small  stream  of  water  in  Manatee  county,  South 
Florida. 

NASSAU  COUNTY. — Includes  Amelia  Island,  on  which  is  located 
Fernandina. 

NEAL'S  LANDING. — A  commercial  point  on  the  Chattahoochee 
River.  Post-office. 

NEWNANSVILLE. — An  old  settled  town  in  Alachua  county.  Stage- 
line  from  Gainesville.  Post-office. 

NEWPORT. — In  former  times  a  trading-point,  3  miles  from  Wakulla 
Spring. 

NEW  RIVER,  or  SANTA  FE. — Rises  in  Santa  Fe  Lake.  It  forms  a 
natural  bridge  by  sinking  into  the  earth  and  rising  again. 

NEW  SMYRNA. — On  the  Halifax  River,  in  Volusia  county.  Post- 
office. 

NEW  TROY. — A  small  settlement  on  the  Suwanee  River,  and 
county-seat  of  La  Fayette  county.  Post-office. 

NORTH  RIVER. — An  inlet  forming  a  part  of  the  harbor  at  St.  Au- 
gustine. 

OAK  BLUFF. — Near  Leesburg,  Orange  county.     Post-office. 

OAKFIELD. — In  Escambia  county,  AVest  Florida,  on  the  Florida 
and  Alabama  Railroad. 

OCALA. — Near  the  old  Indian  settlement  of  Ocali,  mentioned  by 
De  Soto.  County-seat  of  Marion  county.  Post-office. 

OCKLAWAHA  RIVER. — A  narrow  stream  formed  from  springs  and 
lakes,  which  discharges  its  waters  into  the  St.  John's,  25  miles 
above  Pilatka. 

OKAIIUMKEE. — The  terminus  of  navigation  on  the  Ocklawaha 
River.  275  miles  above  Pilatka.  Post-office. 

OLD  TOWN. — A  settlement  in  La  Fayette  county,  on  Suwanee 
River.  Post-office. 

OLUSTEE. — In  Baker  count}-,  on  the  railroad.  Post-office.  In  1864 
a  battle  was  fought  here  between  the  Federals  and  Confederates, 
resulting  in  the  defeat  and  loss  of  ],200  Union  troops. 


Florida  Gazetteer.  •  491 

ORANGE  BLUFF. — A.  landing  on  the  St.  John's,  140  miles  above 

Jacksonville. 
ORANGE  COUNTY. — County-scat,  Orlando.     It  is  situated  partly  on 

Lake  Monroe. 
ORANGE  MILLS. — A  landing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  in 

Putnam  county,  04  miles  above  Jacksonville.     Post-office. 
ORANGE  POINT. — In  Putnam  county,  on  the  St.  John's,  103  miles 

above  Jacksonville. 
ORANGE  SPRING. — A  sulphur  spring  in  Marion  county,  on  the  Ock- 

lawaha  River,  35  miles  above  its  mouth — formerly  a  resort  for 

the  afflicted.     Post-office. 

ORLANDO. — County-seat  of  Orange  county.     Post-office. 
OTTER  CREEK. — Station  and  eating-house  on  the  West  India  Tran- 
sit Railroad,  19  miles  from  Cedar  Keys.     Post-office. 
PALMETTO. — A  station  on  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad,  Levy 

county. 
PALMETTO  LANDING. — On  the  Ocklawaha  River,  78  miles  above  its 

mouth. 
PEASE  CREEK. — A  large,  navigable  stream,  flowing  into  Charlotte 

Harbor,  on  the  Gulf  coast. 

PENSACOLA.— County-seat  of  Escambia  county.     Post-office. 
PERDIDO  MILLS. — A  new  settlement  in  the  pine-woods,  which  prom- 
ises to  be  the  finest  lumber-mart  in  the  South. 
PERDIDO  RIVER. — A  tributary  of  Perdido  Bay,  in  AVest  Florida. 
PICOLATA. — A  landing  on  the  St.  John's  River,  45  miles  above  its 

mouth.     Post-office. 
PILATKA. — On  the  west  bank  of   the  St.  John's  River,  75  miles 

above  its  mouth.     County-seat  of  Putnam  county.     Post-office. 
PINE  LEVEL. — County-seat  of  Manatee  county.     Post-office. 
POLK  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Bartow. 
PORT  ORANGE. — In  Volusia  county,  between  Halifax  River  and  the 

Atlantic  Ocean.     Post-office. 
PORT  WASHINGTON. — In  Walton    count}',    on    the  south    side   of 

Choctawhatchee  Bay. 
POWELLTOX. — Station  on  the  Florida  Railroad,  Escambia  county, 

West  Florida.     Post-office. 
PUNTA  RASSA. — On  the  Gulf  coast,  in  Monroe  county.     Post-office 

and  submarine-telegraph  station. 
PUTNAM  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Pilatka,  through  which  the  St. 

John's  River  flows. 


492  Florida  Gazetteer. 

QUINCY. — County-scat  of  Gadsden  county,  where  a  case  of  hydro- 
phobia has  never  been  known,  nor  an  instance  of  sun-stroke 
occurred.  Post-office  and  telegraph-station. 

REMINGTON  PARK. — A  resort  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's, 
25  miles  above  Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

RIVERSIDE. — A  finely-located,  prospective  city,  on  the  St.  John's, 
near  Jacksonville. 

ROSE  HEAD. — Located  in  Taylor  county.     Post-office. 

ROSEWOOD. — On  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad,  10  miles  from 
Cedar  Keys.  Post-office. 

SALLIE'S  CAMP. — Landing  on  the  upper  St.  John's,  229  miles  from 
Jacksonville. 

SANDERSON. — County-seat  of  Baker  county.  Post-office,  telegraph- 
station. 

SANDY  BLUFF. — Landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  68  miles  above 
its  mouth. 

SAND  POINT. — Seven  miles  from  Salt  Lake,  on  the  St.  John's,  and 
80  miles  from  Canaveral  Light-house. 

SANFORD. — It  is  199  miles  from  Jacksonville.  Contains  a  sanita- 
rium, besides  all  necessary  comforts  for  the  sick  and  well.  Post- 
office. 

SAN  MATEO. — In  Putnam  county,  on  the  St.  John's,  80  miles  above 
Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

ST.  SEBASTIAN  RIVER. — An  estuary  which  is  crossed  in  going  from 
the  depot  to  St.  Augustine. 

SANTA  FE. — A  settlement  in  Bradford  county,  near  Starke.  Post- 
office. 

SANTA  FE  RIVER. — A  tributary  of  the  Suwanee  River. 

SANTA  ROSA  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Milton.  Contains  large  mill- 
ing interests. 

SARASOTA. — In  Manatee  county,  on  the  Gulf  coast,  12  miles  from 
Manateo,  South  Florida. 

SHADY  GROVE. — A  settlement  in  Taylor  county.     Post-office. 

SHARP'S  FERRY. — Landing  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  114  miles 
above  its  mouth. 

SHELL  BANK. — Landing  on  the  St.  John's,  193  miles  above  Jack- 
sonville. 

SHOAL  RIVER. — A  stream  of  water  in  "Walton  county,  which  emp- 
ties into  Pensacola  Bay. 

SILVER  SPRING. — A  most  remarkable  phenomenon  in  nature — the 


Florida  Gazetteer.  493 

principal  source  of  the  Ocklawaha  Kiver,  100  miles  from  its 
mouth.  In  Marion  county.  Post-office. 

SOPCHOPPY. — In  "Wakulla  county.     Post-office. 

SPRING  HILL. — In  Hernando  county,  west  of  Brooksville. 

SPRUCE  CREEK. — In  Volusia  county,  8  miles  from  Smyrna. 

STARKE. — In  Bradford  county,  73  miles  from  Fernandina,  on  the 
West  India  Transit  Railroad.  Post-office. 

STAKE'S  LANDING. — On  the  Ocklawaha  River,  155  miles  above  its 
mouth,  in  Sumter  county. 

ST.  AUGUSTINE. — In  St.  John's  county.  Remarkable  for  being  the 
first  settled  town  in  the  United  States.  Post-office. 

ST.  JOHN'S  COUNTY. — County-seat,  St.  Augustine.  Bounded  on 
the  west  by  the  St.  John's  River. 

ST.  JOHN'S  RIVER. — A  remarkable  stream  of  water,  which  has  its 
source  in  the  Everglades  of  South  Florida.  It  is  about  350  miles 
in  length,  flowing  north  to  Jacksonville,  where  it  makes  an  ab- 
rupt turn  to  the  east,  and  discharges  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

ST.  JOSEPH'S. — In  Calhoun  county,  West  Florida. 

ST.  LUCIE  SOUND. — A  name  given  to  a  portion  of  Indian  River,  in 
Brevard  county. 

ST.  MARK'S. — Terminus  of  the  Pensacola  and  Mobile  (St.  Mark's 
Branch)  Railroad.  It  is  in  Wakulla  county,  at  the  head  of  Ap- 
palachee  Bay.  Post-office. 

ST.  MARK'S  RITER. — Considered  by  most  persons  to  be  the  reap- 
pearance of  Lake  Miccosukee  which  loses  itself  in  the  earth. 

ST.  MARY'S  RIVER. — Rises  in  the  enchanted  land  of  the  Yemassee 
Indians,  forming  a  short  boundary-line  between  Georgia  and 
Florida. 

SUWANEE  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Live  Oak.  Well  timbered  with 
pine.  Has  marl  shell-beds  and  white  clay.  In  the  center  of  the 
county  is  a  white  stone,  soft  when  dug,  but  hardening  on  expos- 
ure to  the  air — used  for  chimney-backs  and  furnaces. 

SUWANEE  RIVER. — Rises  in  Southern  Georgia,  and  empties  into 
the  Gulf,  near  Cedar  Keys;  navigable  for  small  steamers  as  far 
as  Troy. 

SUWANEE  SHOALS. — In  Columbia  county.     Post-office. 

TALLAHASSEE. — Capital  of  the  State.  County-seat  of  Leon  county. 
Located  by  Governor  Walton,  and  named  by  his  daughter  Octa- 
via.  The  State-house  and  Court-house  were  built  by  the  United 
States  Government. 


Florida  Gazetteer. 

TAMPA. — County-scat  of  Hillsboro  county.  On  Tampa  Bay.  Tor- 
minus  of  the  tri-weekly  hack-line  from  Gainesville. 

TAYLOR  COUNTY. — On  the  Gulf  coast,  south  of  Madison. 

TEMPLE. — Station  on  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad,  78  miles 
from  Fernandina. 

TITUSVILLE. — A  flourishing  settlement  in  Vohisia  county,  on  the 
west  bank  of  Indian  River.  It  contains  a  fine  sanitarium  for  in- 
valids. Post-office. 

TIIAIL  RIDGE. — The  highest  point  on  the  "West  India  Railroad,  G2 
miles  from  Fernandina. 

Tocoi. — Landing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  52  miles  above 
Jacksonville.  Post-office. 

UCHEEANNA. — County-seat  of  Walton  county,  West  Florida.  Post- 
office. 

UCHEE  VALLEY. — Named  from  the  lichee  tribe  of  Indians,  who 
formerly  occupied  it.  In  Walton  county. 

VALLOMBROSA. — Settlement  in  Washington  county,  West  Florida. 

VERNON. — County -seat  of  Washington  county,  West  Florida. 
Post-office. 

VOLUSIA. — Landing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  137  miles 
above  Jacksonville.  In  Volusia  county.  Post-office. 

VOLUSIA  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Enterprise. 

WACAHOOLA. — A  settlement  near  Flemington,  Marion  county. 
Post-office. 

WACASSA  RIVER. — Meaning  "Cow  Range  River" — a  corruption  of 
Indian  and  Spanish.  In  Levy  county. 

WAOASSA  RIVER. — A  stream  flowing  through  Jefferson  county, 
and  emptying  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

WAKULLA  COUNTY. — In  this  county  is  the  celebrated  AYakulla 
Spring.  The  principal  settlements  are  St.  Mark's,  Crawfords- 
ville,  and  Sopchoppy. 

WAKULLA  RIVER. — Rises  in  Wakulla  Spring,  and  flows  into  the 
Gulf,  near  St.  Mark's. 

WALDO. — On  the  West  India  Transit  Railroad,  in  Alachua  county, 
12  miles  from  Gainesville.  Post-office. 

WALTON  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Ucheeanna,  AVest  Florida. 

WARRINGTON. — On  Escambia  Bay,  7  miles  from  Pensacola.  Post- 
office. 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY. — County-seat,  Vernon,  West  Florida. 

WAUKEENAU. — Settlement  in  Jefferson  county. 


Florida  Gazetteer.  495 

WEBBVILLE. — A  settlement  in  Jackson  county,  near  Marianna. 

WEELAUNEE. — Located  in  Jefferson  county.     Post-office. 

WEKIVA. — Settlement  in  the  Sanford  Grant,  on  the  upper  St. 
John's.  Post-office. 

WEKIVA  KIVER. — A  stream  in  Orange  county,  flowing  into  the  St. 
John's. 

WELAKA. — Landing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  100  miles 
above  Jacksonville,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Ocklawaha  Kiver. 
Post-office. 

"WELLBORN. — On  the  Jacksonville,  Pensacola,  and  Mobile  Railroad, 
94  miles  from  Tallahassee.  Post-office. 

WITHLACOOCHEE  RIVER. — Rises  in  Sumter  county,  and  empties 
into  the  Gulf,  near  Cedar  Keys. 

"WOODLAND. — In  Putnam  county,  on  Dunn's  Lake.     Post-office. 

WOOLSEY. — A  settlement  on  Escambia  Bay,  in  Escambia  county. 

WYOMING. — A  suburb  of  Jacksonville,  Duval  county.  Unimpor- 
tant. 

YELLOW  RIVER. — Rises  in  Walton  county,  and  empties  into  Pen- 
sacola Bay,  near  Milton,  West  Florida. 


TIIE    END. 


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